


Child of Our Golden Sun

by LePetitCroissant



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst?, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Established SuperCorp, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff without Plot, Implied miscarriage, Kid Fic, Lena Luthor & Maggie Sawyer Friendship, Oneshot Series, Original Character - Freeform, Sawyer Luthor-Danvers, Super baby, SuperCorp, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, mentions of super fam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2018-10-19 11:37:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 38,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10639062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LePetitCroissant/pseuds/LePetitCroissant
Summary: One shot series about the Luthor-Danvers family.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I literally have a paper due in less than 12 hours which I haven't even started yet, and I've had this idea for like a week now and I managed to postpone writing it til now. I really need to learn to stop self sabotaging. Leave me a comment if you know how!
> 
> Anyway! Um. Yeah, I'm not really sure what this is, it's really kinda pointless, but it's fluffy and cute and yeah, this hiatus is driving me nuts.
> 
> I may be willing to write more, or take prompts even if anyone wants. And let me know if anyone's interested in finding out the backstory for the OC's name in this story. I also reference my one and only other Supergirl story in this fic but it's not at all necessary to read that to understand this, but y'know, I wouldn't hate it if y'all went and read that too and dropped me a comment. The story is called Helpless.
> 
> Read on and enjoy! Leave me comments please!
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters not mine except for the OC, and the title comes from a song called Sari Gelin by Sami Yusuf.

Lena Luthor is a very busy woman.

In addition to running her family’s notorious billion-dollar company, the CEO is very much a hands-on kind of scientist as far as her R&D projects are concerned; she goes out of her way to spend as much time as possible in her private underground lab in between meetings as she can, even going as far as cancelling some of said meetings if she’s feelings particularly inspired. If anything, her time in the lab has become far more important than pouring over annual budget reports, especially after she started collaborating with a certain secret government agency to create better weapons or defense equipment they may need to help aid National City’s favorite superhero in her crime fighting.

It may also have something to do with her… vested interest… in keeping Supergirl alive and safe and unharmed.

_Especially_ after that horrendous day when the blonde Kryptonian almost died right there in Lena arms. The CEO still has nightmares about that day, and the subsequent uncertainty of the next few days when nobody knew when – _if_ – Supergirl was going to wake up.

Speaking of Supergirl…

Lena Luthor finally has a home.

It started small, with just one friend with unwavering support and belief in her despite what the evidence suggested.

Then she had two friends because her first fierce friend has a sister – a sister that didn’t instantly trust Lena but eventually warmed up to her because how can anyone face Kara Danvers’ warmth that rivals the sun and _not_ have their doubts and suspicions melt away?

(Much later in life, Kara will confess and stutter and blush that she may have used some very colorful language against Alex, but she’ll swear it was only to speed up the process because, _“Alex was totally practically thawed out anyway!”_ )

With Alex, naturally, came along one Detective Maggie Sawyer – who had arrested Lena. Thankfully though, the detective was easy-going; all it took was a casual night in with their Danvers girls and pizza for her to accept Lena into the gang. Much to said Danvers girls’ displeasure, the pair got along so well, Maggie started hanging out with Lena outside of their little foursome.

(The night Lena and Maggie teamed up _against_ Alex and Kara for charades **_and_** beat them at the game was the bloodiest night in game night history.)

Speaking of game night – Kara had managed convince her that it would be the easiest and fastest way to meet Winn and James and J’onn, that, _“it’s best to just rip off the Band-Aid, love.”_

And that’s how she found herself spending a night under James Olson’s uncertain gaze while trying to maintain a conversation with Winn without revealing how massive of a geek she really is.

(J’onn spent the majority of the night in silent observation, but on his way out he offered her a small imperceptible smile and nod, and Lena spent the rest of the night sobbing into an oblivious and highly worried Kara’s lap at the _acceptance_ and maybe, just maybe, having a dad again.)

When she met Eliza Danvers and was immediately swept up into a hug that rivaled that of Kara’s in warmth and love, Lena Luthor didn’t even bother trying to hold her tears at bay because she was wholly and instantly welcomed by this stranger and was just- _Lena_. No sinister last name, no broken home, just love.

And so, in addition to her CEO duties, her “mad scientist gig” as Maggie often teased, Lena also had a home that she attempted to be in at a reasonable time every day to the best of her capabilities.

Understandably, based on her many time consuming responsibilities, Lena Luthor was the kind of person that tried to sleep whenever she could manage it, and was still always, somehow, not getting enough of it.

Which is why she was ready to snap at whoever it was rousing her from it after she had finally managed to fall asleep after an extraordinarily long week of work and worry.

Except it wasn’t her phone ringing with some pre-dawn conference call, nor was it her alarm, nor was it even Kara’s tired attempts to be sneaky after a midnight Supergirl rescue.

No, it was a tiny, yet deceptively strong, person pushing at her chin with their forehead in an attempt to nestle their face into her neck.

Lena’s most important and most cherished responsibility.

Motherhood.

So she readjusts with a faint groan to accommodate her child, her arm wrapping around his back as he sinks on top of her with all of his more than welcomed strength and weight – which he has yet to learn to control, though Kara’s working on it – and sleepily kisses his head, trying to settle back into sleep before it vanishes from her eyes completely when he murmurs, “Mommy, where Dada?”

She can’t help her tired but amused smile at the term, and pictures Kara’s exasperated though no less loving look whenever their son calls her that. Maggie and Winn had thought it would be hilarious (it was) to teach Lena’s son to refer to his other mother as Dada instead of the intended Mama. It took some time, but the now two year old finally learned to call Kara by her intended title, though he was a stubborn little one and held on to calling her Dada, though he reserved it for their more intimate moments, in the privacy of their own home, when he felt vulnerable.

She turns to her side, settling her son beside her though without separating them and tiredly mumbles something about Kara being in Timbuktu, knowing that that may very well be where her absent wife is when she hears it.

Heaving and retching and vomiting.

She lifts her head with a frown, easily spotting the light coming from the mostly closed bathroom door where she can hear Kara, most likely hunched over their toilet and apparently intent on puking out her lungs from the sound of it.

Ever so gently, with soothing words and whispered murmurs that she’ll, _“be right back, love, stay here please,”_ Lena slowly makes her way out of the bed to head to the bathroom, pausing just long enough to kiss her son’s forehead when he whines lightly for being denied his cuddles.

She leans against the doorframe with an exasperated look as she silently watches Kara moan miserably, holding on to her sides with one arm while the other lays on the side of the toilet bowl, her forehead resting on her forearm.

“I told you to take it easy on the potstickers, Kara. And the pizza. And the Chinese food. And the-”

Another miserable grunt interrupts Lena’s reprimand, the CEO sighing when she notes the slight tremble in Kara’s hand as the blonde looks up and lifts a hand to push her hair back from her eyes, bloodshot and straining against the light and a possible headache, Lena notes.

She shuffles in and settles slightly behind Kara, pulling her blonde curls into a loose ponytail with the hair tie she keeps around her wrist, softly and sympathetically rubbing the Kryptonian’s back as whatever Kara had to say is cut off in another bout of heaving.

She can’t help it though, she had warned Kara about this happening, “All the wine probably didn’t help either; I keep telling you your body doesn’t handle your regular calorie intake like it always does after a solar flare…”

Lena smiles as Kara’s dry heaving stops and she shifts over sluggishly, her head dropping heavily into Lena’s lap, the brunette’s fingers instantly in blonde locks to scratch at Kara’s scalp, knowing it helps leech the tension out of Kara’s frame, Lena’s smile simultaneously widening and softening around the edges as she achieves exactly that, regardless of the Super’s petulant whine.

“Are you just here to say I told you so? Because you can just go ‘way right now if you’re here to gloat, Lena Luthor.”

The CEO can’t help her affectionate eye roll even as she bends down to drop a lingering kiss against Kara’s forehead, letting a hand slide along the reporter’s side where she notes Kara’s hand rubbing her ribcage, her touch gentle as she applies soothing pressure, murmuring against Kara’s forehead that, “it’s Zor-El now.”

Regardless of how crappy she feels, Kara can’t help her smile at that, tiredly turning into Lena as she quietly apologizes for waking Lena.

“Actually, I was out cold until-”

Right on cue, though Lena isn’t surprised because he was probably listening, albeit unintentionally, her son’s soft concerned coo draws her – and Kara’s – attention to the door where he stands, a tatty old teddy bear choked in the crook of his elbow.

The brunette’s smile, impossibly, softens more as she watches Kara’s exhausted features break out into a radiant smile that could easily take over charging a Kryptonian’s cells instead of the radiation of their yellow sun, her voice spreading strength and comfort even when the blonde herself is feeling worse for wear.

“Hello, my sweet.”

And it’s enough, those three little words Lena’s become so accustomed to hearing directed at her son, the words Kara only reserves for their son, for his shoulders to loosen and his worry to fall away, a small shy smile gracing his features, his feet shuffling him closer…

… only to freeze up in place when Kara’s eyes widen and she’s shooting up again to hunch over the toilet bowl again, grunting as she dry heaves, miserably whining that, _“I’m empty, there’s nothing left, so why won’t it stop… my ribs hurt from the strain…”_

Lena just rolls her eyes and bites back her reprimand because her son’s standing not more than two feet away and looking scared as he whimpers, watching her rub the blonde’s back before helping Kara lie back down in her lap, soothingly murmuring to their son, “Sawyer, why don’t you go back to Mommy’s bed? I’ll be there to cuddle soon, okay?”

She can’t say she’s surprised when he just stands there and watches Kara with wide eyes, mumbling, “Dada okay?” as he shuffles closer, plopping down beside Kara and hesitantly laying his hand on her side where Kara’s own hand rests.

She does want to smack her wife though when the blonde moans out a hopeless, “No, Dada definitely not okay,” which just snaps Sawyer’s head up towards Lena with wide blue eyes glistening as tears start to gather in them.

“Mama’s just being silly, baby, she’s going to be just fine. Just go back to bed, please.”

Her son’s response is to frantically get to his feet and try to get to the medicine cabinet, Lena watching with a combination of pride and mild panic as he manages to float less than a foot in the air before he’s back on solid ground, much to Sawyer’s frustration, pointing emphatically at it instead.

“No, Sawyer, nothing in there’s gonna help Mama right now.”

“Although a little cuddling might help, my sweet, what do you think?”

He’s too stubborn, Lena thinks as she watches the gears turn in Sawyer’s brain before he’s exclaiming that they should, “Call Aunt Al!” and turning to go look for the phone in the dark house, Lena’s calls for him to not wander in the dark falling on deaf ears.

Thankfully though, Kara’s feeling better enough to call him back before he wanders away, much to Lena’s chagrin that he listens to Kara better sometimes.

“Sawyer, my sweet, Aunt Al is sleeping right now, and she can’t help anyway. But you can. Will you please come sit with me a little?”

Lena watches with amusement as he whines, mesmerizingly like Kara in his attitudes sometimes, but settles in against Kara’s side, the two entwining their pinkies together, watches as the blonde’s cheeks gain a little tint of rose in them like being close to Sawyer really does help. And maybe it does, who’s Lena to say otherwise, watching her son shift to lie in Kara’s arms.

She lets them have their moment, her fingers never relenting in Kara’s hair as the Kryptonian whispers sweet nothings against Sawyer’s dark head of hair until he’s yawning and his eyes are drooping.

Then, in a practiced, synchronized motion, the two women move, Kara off Lena’s lap and Lena shifting Sawyer into her arms to allow her wife to get to her feet once Kara says she feels good enough to go to bed, pausing to rinse out her mouth and brush her teeth.

Too bad it doesn’t last very long, or even at all, because as soon as Kara’s made it back to their bed she’s rushing back into the bathroom.

Lena sighs, settling Sawyer back among the pillows as she goes back to check on Kara, the reporter tiredly waving her away and telling her to get some sleep and that she’ll be there soon. The CEO’s about to protest when she hears Sawyer shuffling again in their room, kissing Kara’s head with a sigh as she heads back to the room to soothe her son back to sleep.

* * *

 

She wakes up in bed alone, no Sawyer in sight.

With growing panic, she throws the covers away to go look for him, stopping abruptly in the bathroom doorway.

She leans against the frame, much like she did the night before when she found Kara, this time observing her son curled into her wife, thumb in his mouth much to Lena’s disapproval, the pair sharing the pillow and blanket one of them must have dragged into the bathroom, sound asleep.

She leaves them to sleep a little longer after snapping a picture for Alex and Eliza.

* * *

 

It’s another few hours and Lena’s worried because neither Sawyer, who tends to be up and about early, nor Kara, who usually has some Super crisis to avert by now, are awake.

Her steps are quiet but sure as she pads back into the bedroom, pausing – yet again – in the doorway because the sight that greets her is making her melt.

Kara’s bundled up in bed, sheets all the way up to her chin, as she lies still – a Herculean effort considering how restless the Kryptonian can get, and how little she can actually hold still for extended periods of time.

A Herculean effort that she’s taking on because Sawyer is sitting up beside her head, his back against the headboard, his favorite book of compiled classic fairytales in his lap. His brows are pinched together in a crinkle as he murmurs nonsense to Kara, and Lena realizes that he’s “reading” to Kara, like the blonde has done for him whenever he wasn’t feeling well.

The CEO’s smile is watery as tears fill her eyes, watching with painful happiness as her son pauses every other page to check on Kara, even going as far as laying his hand on her forehead to check her temperature, even though the gesture means nothing to Sawyer.

She watches with a lump forming in her throat at the sheer _happiness_ she feels when she see Kara shift even minimally so and her blanket slips, only for Sawyer to immediately abandon his book and fuss over her wife, pulling the blanket back into place, even crankily scolding Kara when the blonde finds the whole thing too adorable to keep her smile hidden.

It doesn’t take long before Kara’s pulled Sawyer, giggling and squealing madly, down onto the mattress and against her as she tickles his sides and kisses his head and face and anywhere else she can reach, and soon Sawyer’s noticed her and he’s calling out to her for help.

If Kara notices her wet eyes, she doesn’t comment on it as Lena crawls in on the other side of Sawyer, making a split second decision to take her wife’s side, even if for a few more moments, in her attack of their son’s ticklish spots; his laughter is too sweet and she wants to wrap herself in it just a little bit longer.

Eventually, the three of them are breathless from their joy, and Lena watches Sawyer scramble to lie on Kara’s chest at her prompting, the blonde pulling Lena into her side once he’s settled in, the CEO on the receiving end of multiple chaste kisses against the crown of her head.

She can’t keep the awe out of her voice when she murmurs, fingers idly trailing back on forth on Sawyer’s arm that ends with his thumb in his mouth again.

“Thank you for loving me back, Kara.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A oneshot about the birth of Kara and Lena's son, Sawyer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Gosh, the response to this fic has been amazing, beyond anything I expected to be honest! I'm so thankful to you all for your comments and kudos and favorites and follows and just- I'm so thankful for you! Your response is the only reason I managed to crank this out so soon.
> 
> Please enjoy this chapter - the backstory of Sawyer Danvers' name. And please leave me comments on what you liked and disliked; I don't think I've ever written a proper situation like this one and I'm not sure how I did. And feel free to drop me a prompt if you'd like.
> 
> The usual disclaimer applies.

In hindsight, she should have just taken the universe’s hints and stayed in bed.

But her alarm hadn’t gone off, and Lena Luthor already had a lot to prove no thanks to her last name and her gender and her sexual orientation and as an engineer in a field dominated by stuffy old white males, regardless of her status as a certified _genius_. She’s not about to let a little back pain and a restless night of sleep due to being very heavily pregnant stop her from attending her board meeting; she won’t give them the satisfaction.

Her morning didn’t improve when she realized Kara hadn’t made it home the previous night from her mission.

So in addition to being late, and being unable to caffeinate due to her condition, she was also consumed with gut-clenching worry; Kara, apparently, was so busy she couldn’t even send her a text to check up on her, which was a habit the Kryptonian had picked up, much to Lena’s annoyance, from the moment they realized they were having a baby.

She had shaken her head to clear it from the rapidly gathering negative thoughts, straightened as best as possible when one’s center of gravity was so completely out of wack, thanks to the approaching arrival of a, at the time, very active bundle of joy, and made her way down to the awaiting car taking her to her office.

After all, she was a Luthor married to a Super; she’d spend the rest of her life locked away in a bubble if she let worry and fear control her.

She can’t – _won’t_ – live in fear.

Though that doesn’t mean she didn’t shoot off a – what she hoped was – casual text to Kara, inquiring about her whereabouts.

And one to Alex, just in case Supergirl couldn’t get to her phone just yet.

And one to Maggie, in case Alex couldn’t get to _her_ phone just yet either.

And maybe one to Winn as well because he probably had eyes on the situation anyway.

A slew of emails came in just as she was composing a text to J’onn after shooting one off to James, and her CEO duties had started without her absolute consent.

* * *

 

Her day goes from bad to worse right around lunch when one Detective Maggie Sawyer casually saunters in past Jess the Secretary with a bag of food and an apologetic smile because she doesn’t have any updates about Kara.

At least she brought potstickers; it seems their baby has already inherited Kara’s appetite.

She winces as she settles on the couch, the dull ache in her back causing her more grief than usual today, but she smiles away Maggie’s concern and expertly changes the topic, thankful that Maggie lets her do so.

And that’s when her day proceeds to go from worse to absolute hell in a matter of minutes when the door to her office bursts open, startling her and causing Maggie to jump to her feet, gun drawn and standing in front of Lena as they watch Jess and the rest of L-Corp’s board members get shoved into Lena’s office – at gunpoint.

Her hands instinctively wrap around her round belly, eyes wide and heart rate spiking even as Maggie makes her officer of the law status known – loudly – and demands, rather pointlessly, the masked men drop their weapons and surrender immediately.

Their captors seem to find the act amusing as they take off their masks, clearly more than confident in their plans and their escape if they’re willing to reveal their faces to their gathered prisoners.

And apparently they’ve also done quite the extensive research, Lena notes with horror, as she watches one of the men strut towards her desk and flick the – supposedly – hidden switch that Kara had insisted be installed early on in their relationship.

The switch that activated the lockdown feature Lena had collaborated with the DEO to create. The one that sealed off her office completely from the outside world in case she was in danger.

Well, sealed everything except for her balcony.

Supergirl’s access.

Her glimmer of hope, however is squashed rather quickly when one of their captors notes her eyes flitting over to the glass entrance behind her desk, his grin positively demented as he pulls out a small remote.

Lena’s breath is caught in her throat, Maggie’s jaw clenched painfully as she steps further in front of the pregnant CEO, eyes hard as they watch the man flip the switch…

… And proceed to get soaked as the sprinklers in Lena’s office come on.

Except the water is green.

 _Kryptonite_ green, Lena notes with rising panic.

Kara won’t be able to get into her office now without dropping to her knees in agony; the entire room and its occupants were soaked through, the sprinklers not showing any sign of shutting off any time soon.

Her mind’s racing trying to figure out a plan to get out of here, but her thoughts are slowly clouding over with the increasing pain in her lower back, and the baby’s burst of energy all of a sudden as they seem to be kicking in an erratic pattern.

She vaguely registers her captors’ demands for her to hand over her latest R&D project’s blueprints and specs – a new defensive armor she developed for the DEO agents that could withstand just about anything, as was tested by a certain caped Kryptonian – before her fingers close around Maggie’s forearm in a vice grip and she’s biting back a pained cry, other hand cradling her stomach.

 _Of course_ she’d go into labor in the middle of a hostage situation.

Unsurprisingly, her captors don’t seem to care at all as Maggie, wide eyed and barely clamping down on her own panic, helps her situate on the couch they’re still in front of, heedless of their kidnappers’ demands for the plans before they start shooting, starting with Lena herself.

The CEO barely registers Maggie’s gun cocking and pointing up at the thug daring enough to actually step closer, the detective’s growled out, _“Not if I start shooting first,”_ sounding like it’s coming from so far away.

Her sole focus is on the baby’s erratic, almost panicked, squirming inside of her – something’s wrong.

She needs a way out of this, and fast.

(Later, when this mess is dealt with, Kara will yell at her – gently – about antagonizing the big men with bigger guns pointed at them.)

But for now, Lena’s increasing state of anxiety has her settling for flat out rejecting her imprisoners’ request.

The warning shot fired close – _too close_ – enough to shatter the glass coffee table doesn’t help ease her mind, nor her grip on Maggie’s arm. She barely keeps from crying out when a few stray shard manage to scratch her, though Maggie’s made sure to shield her body as best as she can with her small frame.

She shifts gears then, trying to bargain; offer up more money than these men will know what to do with in three lifetimes, offer a different, less-disastrous-if-in-the-wrong-hands project, anything when they shoot Jess in the leg.

Lena’s not sure who cries out louder; Jess from the pain, Maggie in outrage, or her from fear for her most loyal employee (and friend’s) life.

She’s pushing off the couch instantly, albeit shakily, with Maggie’s help and waddling as best as possible towards Jess, already pulling off her jacket to press it into her assistant’s wound, when a sharp pain shoots through her body, almost sending her to her knees if it weren’t for Maggie’s steady arm around her.

The CEO grits her teeth through the pain as the thug apparently in charge threatens that the next bullet will go into Jess’ head if Lena doesn’t cooperate.

“I already told you, I won’t give you that project’s details. And even if I wanted to, I couldn’t; the project’s been handed over to the client and all the files are gone with it – I don’t have anything here.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“Look, buddy, you clearly know your way around my company, I don’t for a second believe you didn’t already try to steal the files from my servers; I’m guessing this whole operation is because you couldn’t find anything, right?”

(Later, much later when this mess has been dealt with, Maggie will tell her how impressed she was with the level of cool Lena demonstrated while negotiation with criminals pointing a gun at her head while she went through labor.)

“Then find a way to get me those files, now, or I swear to God there will be so much brain matter splattered on these walls it’ll look like Quinten Tarantino redecorated your office!”

 _Moron,_ Lena thinks to herself because this is the perfect opening.

Gritting her teeth, Lena shifts to her feet with the help of Maggie and heads to her desk, only wavering once when another contraction hits.

To her credit, Maggie doesn’t outwardly show any signs of pain when Lena squeezes her hand much tighter than what is probably comfortable.

Lena Luthor, being the certified genius she is, has already put together a plan in case of exactly such a situation; she learned long ago to have backup fake plans on a bogus government website (courtesy of Winn) she’d pretend to hack into and retrieve copies for the project.

Easy enough, right?

Wrong.

Because now she can feel something wet against the inside of her thigh, and suddenly she realizes the baby’s previously frantic moving around has slowed and turned sluggish almost.

Her baby is in distress.

Her eyes are wide and her calm icy mask slips off, chased away by the fear spreading its roots into every one of her nerve endings, her grip on Maggie is downright _Super_ as she finally cries out in pain.

 _Of course_ the moment she’s crumbling out of her chair is when she sees the approaching red and blue blur.

And of course Kara isn’t subtle about her entrance – not when Lena and their baby is in jeopardy.

So _of course_ the goons see her coming, and they stand back with smug smirks as Kara bursts into Lena’s office, dripping with righteous fury.

And immediately proceeds to fall to her knees in pure unadulterated pain because the Kryptonite-spewing sprinklers haven’t stopped since they started.

Her eyes, framed in a poisonous green spider web pattern as the Kryptonite attacks her cells, are full of sorrow and helplessness as they meet Lena’s – Kara can’t stay, Kara can’t save Lena, not this time.

The CEO’s eyes, on the other hand, are fervent as she shakes her head for Kara to get out while she still can.

The blonde’s eyes well up even as she starts crawling back out, not once breaking eye contact with Lena, not even when she makes the split decision to reach up and throw her communication device to Maggie, the detective not wasting a second as she slips it into her own ear.

Lena’s eyes don’t stray from Kara, whose flight is uneven and jerky as she heads to where Lena knows the DEO is located, but the harsh tones of their captors are forcing their way into the haze of pain and she blindly reaches up to her laptop, yanks out a flash drive and throws it towards where she thinks the men are.

She barely registers the lockdown being overridden and the criminals leaving with much more ruckus than is really necessary, and her board members scrambling to get out, thankfully helping get Jess out to get help too, because Lena’s brain is overwhelmed with pain and anxiety; _she can’t feel the baby moving anymore._

She’s begging and pleading through her tears for Maggie to, _“do something, please- get them out! I think it’s the Kryptonite, Maggie, please-”_

Maggie’s about to protest because what does she know about delivering a baby, let alone a _Super_ baby when she registers Alex’s voice in her ear, calming her and walking her through what needs to be done even as Lena screams out in pain and anguish, and she registers Kara’s frantic desperate shouts echoing her wife’s pleas to do something, begging someone or other to find a way for her to get into the office.

It’s a blur, and she’s seeing _a lot_ more of Lena than she thought she would in her entire life, but before she knows it, Maggie’s holding a little person – the littlest she’s ever seen – against her chest as their- _his_ mother falls back against the floor behind her desk in exhaustion.

Exhaustion that doesn’t last when the two women note something truly disturbing, voiced by Kara’s frantic voice through the comm even as the hero hovers outside Lena’s balcony, determined to be there for the birth of her child.

_“He isn’t crying- why isn’t he crying?! Alex, his breathing is rattled- Maggie, look out!”_

The detective barely has the time and enough wits about her to move enough to shield Lena’s prone body and hold the newborn struggling to breathe close to her chest when pain blooms in her shoulder.

Apparently, Lena’s deception was discovered and their previous kidnappers are displeased.

 _At least he’s finally crying_ , Maggie detachedly notes as she settles the baby in Lena’s arms and turns to take on their attacker.

(Later, much later when everyone’s safe and alive, Maggie will admit that she’s beyond grateful that J’onn recovered enough from whatever injuries he had sustained in their previous mission to swoop in and save the day because there is no way in hell or heaven or anything in between that Maggie could have kept Lena and the baby safe.)

She’s bleeding out, and her vision is getting fuzzier by the minute as she gracelessly falls to the ground beside a desperate Lena Luthor who is _begging_ J’onn to get her son out of this room that is seemingly slowly killing him.

The last thing Maggie remembers before the darkness takes over is Lena struggling to sit up and apply pressure against the gunshot wound the detective sustained to keep her friend and her new nephew – _her family_ – safe.

* * *

 

The first thing Maggie sees when she finally comes to are the blinding lights of the DEO’s med bay.

Followed by Alex Danvers’ red rimmed eyes and tear streaked face as she moves into Maggie’s line of sight at the first sign of the detective’s stirring.

But then there is a broad shoulder – draped in a red cape like a waterfall and strands of blonde curls – and Maggie’s eyes, tired and heavy as they may be, shift over in surprise because she expected Kara to be with her family, not in Maggie’s room.

But, _Oh_ , Kara’s turning and there’s a really small blue bundle against her chest, and Lena’s tiredly settled into a bed that Maggie knows from experience isn’t at all comfortable.

They tell her that the Kryptonite, while slower and not quite as severe as what it does to Kara or Kal-El, still had an effect on the baby, that even though Lena’s labor had already started that morning, the Kryptonite and the highly stressful situation they were in expedited the process.

They tell her that if it weren’t for Detective Maggie Sawyer, the baby wouldn’t have made it. Neither would have Lena probably.

And when she’s waving away their tearful gratitude because, _“You’re family, Little Danvers; you protect family no matter,”_ Kara’s face breaks out into a bright smile, eyes shining with love and tears as she gazes at her son, and then her wife who nods, and then back at Maggie.

“Maggie, would you and Alex do us the honor of being his godmothers?”

And it’s a no-brainer really; there isn’t a universe within the multiverse in which Alex and Maggie would say no to that question.

Impossibly so, the detective watches Kara’s smile widen even more as she steps closer to offer them a view, whispering as she gazes down at her sleeping son in her arms.

“Good. Meet our son, named after the hero without a cape that saved his life, and his grandpa – Sawyer John Luthor-Danvers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Kara talk babies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welp. This chapter was supposed to be a lighter one about Sawyer and his powers, but it went somewhere completely different. Like, other end of the spectrum.
> 
> A note about the previous chapter that I forgot to mention:
> 
> I don't read comics, don't know anything about Supers beyond whatever I've seen in movies/TV or heard about from friends, so I have no clue how a half Kryptonian would be affected by Kryptonite, and trying to figure out it out from wiki gets overwhelming and confusing. So if anyone has any helpful tips or a website that I can consult for all things Krypton, let me know!
> 
> Also, my finals are done by Tuesday so I am open for prompts!
> 
> Don't forget to comment! Enjoy!

Being a parent was a daunting concept for both of them.

For Lena, her fear stemmed from her Luthor upbringing; years of exposure to one Lillian Luthor had done so much damage, Lena was almost happy none of her (very few) relationships had lasted long enough to reach a point where she contemplated children.

Her father, while loving and warm and doting towards Lena, was still absent for most of her life, and he never did anything to protect her from Lillian’s cruelty.

(But her views of Lionel Luthor would change later on in the future when his deception is revealed to her – even if said reveal was meant to manipulate her so Lillian could use Lena, _again_ – and her suppressed memories of his violent rages resurface eventually.)

Lena was _terrified_ of being the same mother Lillian was – if that’s what one can call the abusive, manipulative woman that was forced to take in the product of her husband’s… _indiscretion_ … only to expose her to years of neglect and harsh words and expectations so severe that Lena never had a chance to live up to them even if she moved heaven and earth.

Not to mention the subsequent blatant attempts on Lena’s life…

Kara, on the other hand, had nothing but happy memories of her parents.

What she can remember anymore.

Before hands are pushing her out of hugs too soon and settling her into a pod meant to chase after another one.

A pod she never catches up to, not for two dozen years.

Not until it’s too late.

Before her home is lost to the stars.

Her few good memories, the ones she clings to like the necklace her mother set around her neck before- before. Those memories are slowly but surely getting tainted by the truths that are revealed to her; their role in the destruction of her home, the creation of Medusa, all the other dirty secrets she’s worried she still hasn’t discovered.

Learning the truth about her parents not being the pillars of justice and good that she always remembered them as hit hard – it was like losing Krypton all over again.

And even though Kara lucked out as far her adopted family goes, and she couldn’t have asked for someone better than Eliza Danvers, she isn’t naïve or stupid. Oblivious at times, but not stupid.

She doesn’t bring it up because it brings up too many bad memories for her sister, and Kara would rather face an army of hostile aliens than hurt Alex, but she remembers what life was like for Alex, the pressure Eliza placed on her to achieve perfection; even though her foster mother’s intentions were never malicious – not like Lillian Luthor’s – it still wasn’t the ideal example of parenting.

And then one day, Clark Kent is dropping in for a visit with Lois Lane and the pair – her _nerd_ cousin, mostly – are blurting out that they’re having a baby, and Clark is pulling Kara aside to stutter his way through his request for Kara to be the baby’s godmother, and asking her if she’d want to teach the baby all about their home, about Krypton and their family and culture – all the things she never got to teach Kal-El.

Her answer is instantaneous because _of course_ she will, in what universe would her answer be anything else?

She spends that night curled into Lena’s lap, _sobbing_ because suddenly she and Kal-El aren’t going to be the last children of Krypton anymore, and maybe, just maybe, Kara doesn’t have to shoulder the weight of a lost civilization all on her own anymore.

That week is the first time the topic of having a baby is brought up – by Lena, who would rearrange the cosmos if she could if it meant she could offer Kara even the smallest piece of Krypton back.

It’s after they’ve bid Clark and Lois farewell as the pair fly home to Metropolis, and Kara – like she has been most of the week – is overwhelmed with feelings and emotions and swirling thoughts.

They’ve stumbled back into their bedroom, as has been the usual since the Kents’ announcement, Kara’s mouth warm and slow against her throat as the blonde seeks comfort and solace in the needy press of their bodies.

Kara’s settled her on the bed, gently – _always so gently_ – with a soft kiss full of promises against Lena’s already racing pulse before kneeling down in front of her, hands delicately working off Lena’s strappy high heels, mouth pressing chaste reverent kisses along pale ankles and calves and knees when Lena’s fingers, slow and languid, trace Kara’s jaw on their way into blonde locks, smiling softly as she tilts Kara’s head up, eyes soft and open and accepting as she questions whether Kara wants that too, what Clark and Lois are about to have.

They don’t get any sleep that night, but not because of Kara’s initial plans.

Instead, the night is spent amid murmured what ifs and whispered fears and insecurities; spent with foreheads pressed together; spent with hands mindlessly skimming along ribcages; lips close – _so close_ – they brush together with each breath they share.

They spend many more nights like that for the next few months even though they had made up their mind from that first night that they wanted to start their family because the reality is, they’re a Super and a Luthor; their life is dangerous and demanding and downright daunting, not to mention how busy they were with their careers – they needed to figure out all of those details before they brought an innocent child into a life it didn’t ask for; Lena in particular was adamant about that, after all, her life would have been vastly different if Lionel Luthor’s guilt had stayed dormant and he’d left her in that orphanage.

They want to adopt, because _of course_ they’d adopt. It isn’t even a question.

Until the adoption agency seems wary because it’s a _Luthor_ and no matter how hard Lena tries to distance herself from the name, it will always haunt her.

Lena’s face blanks and chills at the news, her posture straightens and her jaw tightens even as she tries for a professional smile and a curt nod as she takes Kara’s hand and pulls her out, the blonde shaking with the force of her building rage at the _unfairness_ of it all.

Lena makes some half-baked excuse about meetings and investors before she kisses Kara’s cheek and gets in their car, leaving Kara on the curb.

Kara spends the afternoon in the DEO tearing through any and every obstacle she can get her hands on until she’s screamed herself hoarse and needs to be peeled off the ground by Alex and laid under the sun lamps.

The tears come much later, when Lena pushes her way through their home and is halted at the sight of Kara in a bathrobe, hand outstretched to pull Lena into the bathroom where a hot bath is waiting for her, regardless of the late hour.

The idea is put aside after that, until one day Kara lands in the DEO after wrangling another rogue alien and finds her wife there as well.

Considering Lena’s history of threats on her life, Kara is – understandably – immediately on edge as she bypasses J’onn looking for a mission report to reach Lena, the CEO looking up from talking (geeking out) with Winn with an easy, albeit mildly confused, smile; Alex called her over apparently, and Lena has been worried something was wrong with _Kara_.

Alex will sheepishly admit she could have handled it better instead of being so vague as she leads the couple into her lab and reveals the results of her latest research project – she tells them about the possibility of combining their DNA to conceive a baby of their own.

Lena stiffening and going silent wasn’t the reaction either of the Danvers sisters expected. Neither is her storming off halfway through Alex hesitantly explaining the science.

Lena’s in the Alura AI room when Kara finds her, and the two silently sit together and stare at the ghost of Kara’s mother waiting for instructions. In the quiet, Lena admits that she’s terrified, that she thought the adoption falling through was a sign that they shouldn’t, that-

Her train of thought is halted firmly by lips on hers, followed by a kiss to the temple as shaking fingers, _scared_ fingers play with the ends of Lena’s business ponytail, a silent admission that the Girl of Steel is just as afraid as she is, but if Lena’s willing, they can and will do this – together.

El Mayarah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm so gonna fail my finals because of these two and their fictional son.
> 
> A moment of silence for the Danvers Sisters. They ain't dead, but the show's completely ruined them.
> 
> Right, so here's another one. It's safe to say that these one shots aren't following a chronological order though they are somewhat related, for example this chapter is a direct continuation of the second one, set immediately after Sawyer's birth. The only reason it isn't posted right after chapter 2 is because I didn't think of it until two days ago and didn't manage to finish writing it til now.
> 
> Lena comforting Kara is inspired but lovely fan art I saw but have no clue who it belongs to, so if you recognize it and know who did it (or are reading this yourself!) give/take credit please.
> 
> Read on and enjoy and definitely leave me comments, I love hearing from you all. It's literally the only reason the muse is still alive and kicking with this.
> 
> Usual disclaimer of not mine applies.

Lena falls asleep, right there, in the room they’ve set up Maggie to recover, on the obscenely uncomfortable bed (Maggie’s words, not Lena’s) as Kara stands overhead, watching over them.

Over her sister’s girlfriend, who was willingly about to give her life for Kara’s wife and unborn child.

Over her sister, who deserves so much more happiness than Kara knows how to give her.

Over her wife, her strong and beautiful wife whom Kara would go to all ends of every universe in the multiverse to protect and love.

Over her little son, cradled snuggly against her chest, against her- _their_ family’s crest.

Kara feels so full of love her cells are straining to make space for it all in her body.

She doubts it’ll fit without overflowing somehow.

He hasn't left her sight, much less her arms, since Alex cleared him to be taken out from under the sun lamps, only letting him go long enough for Lena to spend some time with him, and even then she had hovered, much to Lena’s amusement.

She’s wandered over to the window looking out over National City, situating both herself and Sawyer in the sunlight, just in case.

(She’s not about to confess to Alex or Lena that she’s still feeling a little nauseated from the Kryptonite rain even though it’s been hours.)

Glancing over her shoulder to make sure everyone’s still asleep, Kara looks back down at her sleeping baby, murmuring to him.

“Hello, my sweet. I’m your Mama. Though I suppose- _hope_ you know that already. Or you will know it soon enough, I guess.”

She smiles as he coos softly in his sleep, and Kara thinks of the first time she got to hold Kal-El.

“You know, you scared me today. Coming so quickly, no warning, nothing. In the middle of a Kryptonite trap no less.”

She frowns, crinkle forming faintly.

“Somewhere I couldn’t come. Somewhere I couldn’t save you from.”

She swallows thickly, glancing over her shoulder at Lena’s slumbering form.

“Somewhere I could have lost you. You and your Mommy.”

Sawyer coos and squirms a little, his little hand slipping out of the blanket he’s wrapped in catching Kara’s attention again, the blonde smiling softly as she slips her finger in it for him to clench, marveling at his tight grip, eyes watering a little.

“I have lost so much already, my sweet. I don’t know what I would have done if I had- No, you know what? We’re not having this doom and gloom talk. No. You know why, Sawyer? Because I am never going to let anything happen to you. Nothing and nobody will hurt you, not ever, not while I’m still around and breathing. That is my promise to you, Sawyer, and I’ll die before I break it.”

She’s barely dropped a kiss against the soft, dark tufts of hair on Sawyer’s head when she hears it.

And it’s like a switch has been flipped, or she’s touched red Kryptonite, and a large portion of the love she’s feeling mutates into pure unadulterated rage, surging and coursing through her veins with every violent beat of her heart.

She keeps enough of her wits about her to stay quiet as she pads over to the bassinet set beside Lena’s bed, settling Sawyer back in it before she turns to walk out.

But some of her composure slips, enough for her to take that turn with a little more force than necessary, causing her cape to snap and wake Lena, who’s ears have spent years tuning in to that sound.

“Kara…? Is everything alright, where’re you going? Is Sawyer-”

“Shush, love, Sawyer’s fine, he’s right there in the bassinet. I just heard sirens, something about a bank robbery. I’ll be back before you know it, just rest.”

It doesn’t work, Kara can see it in Lena’s eyes; she doesn’t believe her. But Kara isn’t about to give her wife a chance to talk her out of this, so she drops a kiss against her forehead and turns again, cape whipping about freely now that she’s not concerned with waking Lena, the CEO’s calls of, “Kara, don’t do something stupid!” falling on deaf ears as the sound of Kara flying out – lifting off too harshly, too angrily – reaches Lena even in their secluded room in the med bay, even managing to rouse Alex.

It’s barely seconds, a minute at most, when J’onn walks in to inquire as to why Supergirl just flew out of here like a bat out of hell when Agent Vasquez bursts in, out of breath and wide-eyed.

“The attackers- the _L-Corp_ attackers were located seconds before Supergirl left here, she must have heard or-”

Lena’s gasp is enough to cut Susan Vasquez off, the entire room understanding the implications of the agent’s news. Green eyes snap over to Alex as the agent jumps to her feet, body tense and coiled for a fight, though Lena can see that Alex hasn’t connected the dots as far as she has yet.

“Alex, you need to stop her- she’ll kill them.”

“Kara doesn’t kill-”

“Alex! She will for this- She could have lost Sawyer, and me. You didn’t see the rage in her eyes when she flew into my office… Please, Alex, before she does something she’ll regret. The city will _crucify_ her!”

Lena can see the hesitation still on Alex’s face and she starts getting up when the frantic sounds of agents shouting about Supergirl being on a rampage and speculating about red Kryptonite. When they start hearing a team assembling to go take Kara down, Alex is jolted into action, rushing out to take care of the situation.

“Stand down! Supergirl-”

Whatever else Alex was going to say dies in her throat as she watches footage of Supergirl broadcasting along the wall of screens.

Lena was right; Kara’s on a murderous rage like Alex has never seen.

At least whoever these thugs are, they have enough fire power to put up a fight, and it doesn’t _look_ like Supergirl is on the warpath for a personal vendetta, even though she’s exercising far too much power to be dealing with generic bank robbers.

 She looks calm – if you ignore the bright red eyes indicating her heat vision is on, the heat vision that she doesn’t seem to be turning off any time soon.

And she’s slowly stalking towards the scrambling would-be (could still be?) barbequed attackers, easily deflecting their bullets and the cars they’re throwing at her, thanks to the _giant_ robot they’ve somehow summoned.

Alex watches her _rip_ a Cadillac Escalade in half with her bare hands as she keeps heading straight for them when she decides to intervene.

“Supergirl, stand down! They’re human, you can’t raze the city to the ground-”

 “Watch me.”

Her voice is calm and quiet, but it sounds so cold, so deadly. It makes a shiver lick its way down Alex’s spine, and dread claws at her lungs as she takes her next breath.

She tries again, softer this time, less Agent Danvers and more Big Sister Alex.

“Kara, you don’t want to do this. I know why you’re angry, and so am I, but this isn’t the way to handle it. Think of the damage you’ll do to Supergirl’s image if you hurt humans.”

“I don’t care about her image, Alex. They could have killed my child. They would have killed my wife. They almost _did_ kill _your_ girlfriend. They need to pay, and they will.”

“Kara, listen to me, you’ll never be able to live with yourself if you hurt them! Please, just- dispatch that robot and let the team I’m sending out arrest the men, and I’ll make sure they pay.”

“No.”

There’s a low growl that precedes the furious, blood-curdling yell Supergirl unleashes as her palm grabs the robot’s fist coming for her face, and Alex winces at the sound of metal crumpling in the blonde’s fist, watches with fascinated horror as Kara’s heat vision melts the robot’s head into liquid at their feet.

Alex is frantic when she sees Kara turn her gaze on the wide-eyed criminals.

“Kara, don’t! How are you going to justify Supergirl showing so much aggression against the people that went after Lena Luthor when the news breaks?! You’ll out yourself and put her and Sawyer in more danger-”

She doesn’t mean to stop, but before Alex knows it, Kara’s in front of the man that seemed to be in charge back in Lena’s office from the brunette’s description – which wouldn’t be an alarming thing if he wasn’t hovering off the ground thanks to Supergirl’s hand around his neck, squeezing.

Alex is frozen in shock because Kara isn’t listening to her, and there isn’t much they can do against someone who is essentially a god, not without hurting Kara.

She’s desperate, her voice softer and more pleading, irrational tears building as she watches her baby sister’s anger tear through her.

“Kara, please… you’ll never be able to look Sawyer in the eye if you do this in his name. Please-”

Alex sees the team J’onn must have dispatched, and she recognize one of the weapons as one Kara and Lena worked on together that was meant to neutralize a Kryptonian without using Kryptonite. Her eyes flit between the man turning every shade of blue under the sun as Kara continues to slowly squeeze the breath out of his throat, and J’onn’s grim expression as he waits for her to give the okay to the team to take out Supergirl.

“I’m _begging_ you; there’s no coming back from this, Kar…”

Something must finally break through the haze because the white hot anger starts receding from Kara’s eyes and her fist loosens, and Alex lets out a deep breath when she sees the bluer-than-the-clear-sky of her sister’s eyes again. She’s so caught up in her relief that she can’t even bring herself to be mad when Kara tosses the spluttering and coughing man too harshly towards the DEO agents waiting for their orders, the criminal falling at their feet unconscious as the blonde lifts off forcefully, the concrete beneath her feet splitting.

It’s barely been a minute before she’s landed back in the DEO, her head downcast and her body rigid with the remains of her fury as she stalks in to head back to the room she left Lena in when her wife’s voice snaps her head up.

“Kara.”

And then she’s breaking.

Her fury melts away to reveal the extent of the fear and anguish and helplessness she’s felt today.

Faster than anyone can blink, Kara’s on her knees so forcefully the floor cracks in a spider web pattern in front of Lena, arms around the brunette’s waist as she sobs into her wife’s middle, Lena’s hands buried in windswept curls and keeping Kara firmly against herself, her own green eyes filling more and more with each body-wracking sob Kara releases into her stomach.

At least the agents around them have the decency to clear out and give the pair some privacy- well, as much privacy as they were going to get with J’onn and Alex and Winn hovering in concern.

But it doesn’t seem to matter to Lena, who continues to hold Kara as she falls apart – caught in her ramblings about a lost planet and almost losing her universe too – and murmurs sweet nothings to calm the woman rapidly sinking into a panic attack.

“Kara, Kara- Love, listen to me, listen to my voice… my breathing… my heart… Come on, baby, deep and slow breaths like mine, you’re okay… And so am I, and so is our son. He’s safe and okay and peacefully sleeping, waiting to be back in your arms… that’s it, love, slow and steady.”

It takes a few repetitions and various forms of the same sentiment but soon enough, Kara’s body sags against Lena’s, and she’s finally – _finally_ – feeling how tired she is, right down to her bones, as the emotional rollercoaster of a day finally catches up to her.

Alex is there to help Lena pull Kara to her feet, the agent promising to get Sawyer and bring him to his mothers in Kara’s sunroom, Kara not putting up much of a fight as Lena slowly leads her that way.

Kara’s exhaustion – both from her emotions and her excessive use of powers – has her all but collapsing on the bed, her hand still firmly in Lena’s as the brunette maneuvers her to at least unclasp the cape before tucking her in, her attention only drawn away from Kara by Alex gently rolling Sawyer in beside Kara’s bed.

Taking in the scene, Lena decides to curl in against Kara; her family is overdue for a nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sawyer starts exhibiting certain... traits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finals are done, and I'm pretty sure I failed 1 out of 3 classes and probably got a really low grade on another that should have been a piece of cake. If anyone knows how to be less self destructive, let me know.
> 
> Here's my attempt at a lighter oneshot. I'm not sure how that panned out. I still haven't managed to get around to looking up more about half Kryptonians, even though I had suggestion on where to check in a comment. I'll get to it though! Eventually. Not sure the extent of J'onn's powers either, to be honest, lol. Can we all just pretend it all works the way I wrote it here? Thanks.
> 
> Inspired by a couple of posts I saw when I was lurking on tumblr (I don't have an account, should I make one? The commitment terrifies me...) about Lena calling up Kara because your child's stuck on the ceiling again so if you know the OG post/poster mention them in the comment so I can give 'em a shout out. Also, shout out to Lesly-oh for the fanart that inspired the last chapter, you can find the link in a comment on AO3.
> 
> Read on and enjoy! Leave me a comment!

She did a lot of research. _A lot_.

Which isn’t out of the ordinary for her; Lena Luthor is, after all, a scientist.

Moreover, she’s a _rich_ scientist, with connections and power that can get her just about anything under the sun that she may want.

So she read and searched and went back into electronic archives so old they’re the first of their kind to be digitized, and _then_ she went even further by reading actual books. Some were even ancient tomes that Kara refuses to think about how Lena got because, _“shouldn’t that be in a museum somewhere?”_

(Lena always tells her that, “I know a guy,” which doesn’t make Kara feel any better.)

Their family teased her mercilessly, a campaign headed by one Alex Danvers, endlessly amused as she picked her way through the intricate maze laid out on the floor of their living room in a pattern that only made sense to Lena.

“All the power in the world, more money than you would know what to do with for at least five lifetimes, a certified _genius_ , and you’re neck deep in _baby books_ , Luthor.”

She blushed and looked back down at the three baby books spread around her in a half-circle as she cross referenced information.

“Having a baby is a big deal, _Danvers_ , I want to be ready.”

Winn’s casual, “except none of those will help you since you’re having a half alien baby,” halted Lena halfway through putting some of the books away to make room for her sister-in-law to sit, eyes wide with panic as she looked at Kara because _how_ did she _not_ remember that very critical piece of info?

(Kara had to be physically restrained from tossing Winn into space after she was done calming Lena down from her lengthy panic attack.)

(Lena spent the rest of the week reading up on alien physiology, calling up Eliza Danvers, and even spiraling into conspiracy theory websites one night at 3 AM. Kara drew the line and banned the researching when Jess called her one evening to tell her that Lena’d locked herself in her office and won’t open up. Kara flew over so fast multiple windows shattered as she passed them, only to find her wife digging up Lex’s old research on Kryptonians as she dramatically sobbed because, _“how are we going to give the baby their vaccines if their skin is impenetrable, Kara?!”_ )

(Kara finally had an idea of what her friends saw when they said Lena had a tendency to be “extra” sometimes.)

* * *

 

Kara was _freaking out_.

But _Lena_ was beyond freaking out, so Kara had to somewhat hold it together lest they both lose their minds before the baby was even born.

It was, arguably, Kara’s best kept secret.

(Her _only_ kept secret, Winn laughed at her way later after the dust had settled from the events of Sawyer’s birth.)

She was having a baby. _A baby_.

Kara had yet to keep a house plant alive. _And she had switched to plastic ones_.

She was happy and excited, she wasn’t going to change her mind, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t allowed to be afraid.

And that’s when she, like Lena, had been thinking about the baby as a normal _human_ baby.

(Sometimes, she was so caught up in her ‘I’m a regular mundane human nothing to see here’ act, that even Kara forgot she _wasn’t_.)

Needless to say, Winn’s comment that night had been a sobering bucket of water.

They already spent several weeks talking into the morning about how they would raise a child in an environment of love understanding and belonging while taking into account Kara’s job, and her _other_ job, and Lena’s extremely demanding CEO job, and just generally the chaotic life they led.

How were they going to manage that with a _Super_ toddler?

Was the baby even going to _be_ Super?

Kal-El’s baby had yet to show any powers, and there just weren’t any other precedents.

There were too many what-ifs. Kara was losing her mind.

It took one accidental distracted flight to Midvale and an afternoon in Eliza’s company and soothing words, followed by her adopted mother visiting the couple for an ultrasound for Kara to calm down a little.

Eliza had kept quiet at Kara’s questions – rambled and hasty – about whether Eliza thought _“something was wrong and is that why she suggested an ultrasound and is that why they were performing it at the DEO instead of a regular hospital and **oh Rao** they can’t have the baby at a regular hospital because what if it came out shooting lasers out of its eyes?!”_

(That last one had really startled Lena. J’onn had needed to subtly channel a little bit of his powers to calm the woman down from her building panic.)

Eliza’s pursed lips had bent into a smile though once Kara’s questions cut off abruptly, just in time for Lena’s awed gasp to fill the room.

In all the frenzy of the pregnancy, Kara had been distracted enough to not yet notice the second heartbeat that was now always present in the same room as her wife.

(Alex cried the most.)

(Winn made sure to get _a lot_ of pictures.)

(J’onn wasn’t impressed when he was summoned again to calm Alex this time. Though Eliza gave him a knowing look as he passed her on his way back out after noting his own misty eyes.)

Kara’s nerves had settled somewhat after that; how could it not when all she could hear after that were the heartbeats belonging to the love of her life and their baby?

She was going to be ready to handle anything.

* * *

 

Turns out, she wasn't ready.

The first time it happened, they were having a quiet afternoon together at home on a Saturday that had yet to call for Supergirl’s attention, three months after Sawyer’s birth.

Kara had managed to convince (though honestly, she didn’t even need to try very hard) Lena to binge-watch _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ with her – again – and the pair were tangled together on the couch, coffee table littered with takeout containers and baby Sawyer napping away in his portable bassinet beside them.

Halfway through an episode or other, there had been kissing instigated by Lena. Chaste kissing that had snowballed into less chaste kissing and needier kissing by Kara. Kissing that had been paused momentarily by their son’s soft cooing.

They had pulled away just enough to look at each other without going cross-eyed, both deathly quiet to not disturb Sawyer into waking up fully.

When the silence stretched, they didn’t waste it staring at each other.

Until there was another, slightly louder, coo.

Kara had smiled apologetically and was in the process of gently dislodging Lena from her lap to turn and check on the baby when she froze, eyes higher than where Lena knew the bassinet to be.

Turning, the youngest Luthor stiffened, eyes roaming higher and higher right along with Kara’s as they watched Sawyer, still very much asleep, float up towards the ceiling.

Their son was floating.

They had a floating son.

 _Floating_.

Lena could feel her brain short circuiting as she tried to process what was happening right in front of her.

Kara wasn’t fairing much better either if the slack jaw and limp limbs was anything to go by.

It took Sawyer almost smacking into the ceiling for Kara to jump up and grab him, easily floating back down to the ground, the baby not even stirring once.

The two women barely locked eyes before Lena nodded once and walked away.

“I’ll get the diaper bag, you call Alex.”

* * *

 

It becomes a common occurrence, walking into the nursery when one or the other or both hear Sawyer getting a little more vocal during what they know to be nap time or bedtime and finding the boy hovering high over his crib.

Once, they were on a family picnic along with the rest of their friends when it started to happen, Kara squeaking as she wrapped her arms around Sawyer and held on for the rest of his nap.

(They make it a rule to be indoors, somewhere safe and away from prying eyes, during times they know Sawyer will sleep.)

Once, it happened during date night; Lena and Kara had finally managed to tear themselves away from Sawyer for an evening only for the night to be cut short when Alex, babysitting, sent Kara a picture of Maggie on a ladder, reaching up to try and bring Sawyer down, the boy already stuck on the ceiling but obviously still sound asleep.

(Lena spends 15 full minutes whisper yelling at Alex who had thought the whole thing was hilarious and was sharing the pictures with their friends and family like one shares the link to a funny cat video instead of trying harder to get her nephew back down.)

Once, and only once, it happened when Sawyer was awake.

He’s eight months old and playing with Uncle James, the photographer smiling wide as he lifts Sawyer into the air and gently throws him up, not very far or hard, easily catching him again as gravity works its magic and Sawyer falls back into his uncle’s arms.

On his third throw though, gravity seems to break because James’ hands remain empty as the infant remains in the air where he was tossed, staring down at James with a giggle.

The room is eerily quiet as everyone just stares in shock, even Kara who has become so used to immediately jumping up to grab Sawyer before he gets too far up.

It takes Sawyer floating higher up still for Lena to snap out of it and shove Kara off the couch to get him back down, the group silently packing up and heading out to the DEO for tests on Sawyer’s progress as one.

* * *

 

It all comes to a head one day when Lena’s canceled all her meetings and taken the day’s work home to spend the day with Sawyer, while Kara laments her hectic work schedule – both for CatCo and for the DEO – via texts and pictures of herself pouting when Lena sends selfies of herself with a beaming Sawyer in her lap.

Somehow, the morning turns into early afternoon and Lena’s found herself yawning right alongside her son, shifting things around enough to comfortably cuddle him to sleep on the couch, Sawyer’s little fists tight in her t-shirt.

She’s jolted out of her impromptu nap by the tug of gravity on her legs, eyes snapping open to see the ceiling _inches_ from her face.

Sawyer’s sleeping peacefully on her chest, his back against the ceiling the only buffer between Lena and being smooshed as Lena wraps one arm around him tighter and tries to push away from the ceiling with the other.

For the first time since his birth, Lena notes how _strong_ Sawyer is; his fists in her shirt enough to pull her up with him when he inevitably started defying gravity.

She’s making a mental note of it when, much to her horror, her son starts stirring and his hands loosen mildly.

The pain from the drop is the last thing on her mind though because Lena – preparing to call out for Kara – realizes she doesn’t know what would happen if Sawyer was startled. Would he drop too out of fright? Would he shoot out of their roof? They’ve never had to experience it because Kara’s always been there to bring him back down, and now? Well, Lena’s stuck up in the air right alongside Sawyer with no way to get down until Kara gets home.

Looking down at his cooing, she notes Sawyer looking up at her with a wide and sleepy toothless grin and Lena’s momentarily distracted by his bluer than blue House of El eyes.

Until her legs start burning from the strain of keeping them up and she’s reminded of her predicament.

Adopting her best businesswoman voice, Lena decides to talk her way back to the ground.

By the end of her 15 minute proposition, she’s gone through deals and pleas and begging and ended with downright bribery, promising the 10 month old a giant bag of candy if he would just float them back down.

Sawyer, for his part, just giggles because Mommy’s making that silly face and those silly voices she does when she’s trying to get him to smile and laugh. Much to Lena despair, he even manages to flip them somehow, pressing his face into her chest more as Lena’s back hits the ceiling and she has a clear view of  the distance and what they – Sawyer first – would land on if her son’s power suddenly gave out.

Suddenly though, there’s a familiar _whoosh_ and their balcony door is opening to let Supergirl in, the hero stopping dead in her tracks as she looks up at the sight and breathing out a quiet, _“Holy Rao…”_

Which is enough to draw Sawyer’s attention – and Lena’s barely made another mental note to investigate his hearing because Lena herself barely heard Kara there – and the floating pair are rapidly plummeting to the ground.

Bless Kara’s reflexes because next thing she knows, Lena’s strangled scream is muffled into a firm blue shoulder as Kara halts their descent with her arms tight around Lena and Sawyer, Sawyer squished between them and crying out of fright.

They’re both quiet, aside from trying to soothe Sawyer’s crying, too in shock until Kara muses that she, _“Should have gotten a picture first for his baby album. Baby’s first flight.”_

They’re a mess of hysterical nonsensical giggles after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sawyer hits a milestone with unexpected side effects. Kara's a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I got my grades on Tuesday (it's Wednesday morning for me) and well, yeah, it didn't go well; I failed the one class that I desperately needed to not fail. Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty crappy.
> 
> Anyway, this was inspired by a comment on the previous chapter by Rue - they were being kind enough to explain certain things to me about the abilities of a half Kryptonian half human baby and mentioned that Sawyer's heat vision could hurt Kara. And then it got me thinking about what it must be like to be an infant with these powers; because if Kara was 13 when she landed and was having so much trouble adjusting, God help a little infant that couldn't even communicate when something was wrong. So I wanted to explore that, and how that might affect his moms who already have massive issues and doubts. So, um, yeah. Tada?
> 
> This is by far the longest chapter, both by word count and duration because I've been working on it all week. It's unbeta'd and possibly doesn't flow because I've stopped multiple times and picked up again at a different time, so leave me comments to let me know how bad it sucked (or if it didn't?)
> 
> Also, I'm completely ignoring the existence of Kon-El here, sorry there, hardcore comic fans.
> 
> End of super (ha!) long A/N. Read on and enjoy!

It’s a little over eight months since she’s given birth smack in the middle of a hostage situation that almost killed her, her wife, and their baby, and Lena Luthor has yet to go back to a full day of work as the CEO of L-Corp.

At first it was a combination of a regular maternity leave, and Kara’s anxiety about keeping her family safe after the circumstances of Sawyer’s birth. And, y’know, the general fact that Lena’s life is, more often than not, in danger one way or another.

Later though, once Kara had been assured by Alex and Winn that Lena’s office is now _even more_ of a secure fortress than it was _before_ , Kara found that Lena wasn’t very eager to get back to work, merely shrugging away the news as her eyes remained firmly on Sawyer nursing in her arms, stating that she was content to keep working from home – which is alarming considering Lena is as a known workaholic that has, on more than one occasion, been forcibly removed from her office by a flying caped hero.

Instantly alarmed, it had taken Kara prepping a romantic night in complete with Kara flying to Italy for Lena’s favorite lasagna, and up to France for her favorite chocolates, and no small amount of gentle prodding until Lena caved and opened up about not being ready to leave Sawyer for so long just yet because she knows that once she’s back at L-Corp, it will take up as much time as it can, regardless of how hard Lena will try to fight it.

Lena wasn’t going to raise him like she was raised; rarely seeing his mother, and when he’d see her she’d be too exhausted to give him the love and attention he needs and deserves, and – she shudders at the thought – maybe even snap at him until _a nanny_ came to collect him and keep him busy.

(She doesn’t verbalize that Sawyer wouldn’t even have a sibling to distract him from the neglect and protect him from the abuse like Lena had- well.)

 It’s a long night, and a lot of scenarios are covered – Lena adamant that none of them include a staff beyond their housekeeper, nobody permanent in raising Sawyer that isn’t their family – until they agree to a schedule that both of them are comfortable with.

They’ll do it slowly; Lena will start going back to the office for a few hours three times a week, then four, then five. Kara will arrange her schedule – Snapper be damned – so she’ll be home with Sawyer while Lena is at the office – with someone ready to act as backup sitter ready to watch Sawyer in case of a Super emergency – and she’ll take their son to visit Lena for lunch.

Then Lena will slowly start working a little longer, again doing so three then four then five times a week, but insisting on ending her work day by six, bringing whatever work she has left home for after Sawyer’s been put down for the night.

(Kara and Sawyer will still visit for lunch because Lena will _definitely_ forget to eat lunch once she’s well and truly back at work.)

(Lena also doesn’t budge on her plans to build a room into her office or building or _wherever_ to act as a nursery for Sawyer so Kara could even drop him off with her if she needs to go save the day.)

(Kara doesn’t protest much, mentally already arguing with J’onn about setting up something similar at the DEO for when she has no other choice than to take Sawyer with her to save the day.)

Of course this is all easier said than done, Kara shaking her head at herself for somehow forgetting how stubborn her wife is; Lena takes far too long to start extending her hours – especially after the whole ‘Sawyer is flying when he’s awake now too!’ business – and Jess is getting desperate after a particularly bad few weeks of PR following an anti-alien crime wave using old LuthorCorp technology and the culprits leaving notes that they’re committing these crimes in the name of the Luthors.

(Lena claims she can’t leave when the city needs Supergirl’s attention more than usual lately; her public relations team is more than capable of doing damage control, or at least they will be if they didn’t want to be replaced, anyway.)

It takes another day of Jess blowing up Kara’s phone and clogging up Lena’s inbox, and a small fire in Lena’s office where Jess has been holed up to have her mini meltdowns that Supergirl has to take care of before Kara finally convinces Lena to take a day and stop the PR nightmare because, _“I really like Jess, Lena, you’re going to make her run away. We’re never going to find you a better secretary.”_

(Kara also makes sure the woman is set to get a really big bonus and sends her on a vacation once Lena’s settled back into her CEO role.)

So with a sweet kiss to the cheek from her echoed by their bouncing baby boy on the opposite cheek, Sawyer smiling easily through the excessive drooling as he fists the back of Kara’s shirt and settles in comfortably on her hip, the pair waving Lena off as the driver takes off for L-Corp, Kara finally convincing Lena to go into the office for a proper day’s work with promises to stop by for lunch – barring any Super emergency – and that she’ll call her if there’re any problems, rolling her eyes because, _“I **am** his mother too, y’know, I think I can manage a day with our son without any disasters, love. What will go wrong?”_

* * *

 

Kara _really_ needs to start remembering Lena’s firm warning to, _“Never tempt the cosmos like that, ever again;”_ you’d think she’s learned her lesson after the last time she promised Lena nothing would go wrong.

But it’s been three hours now, pushing towards four, and Sawyer has only stopped crying for a minute only so he can take a deep breath and wail louder.

He’s been fussy and hasn’t slept well for a couple of days now, and when he tucked his head into the crook of Kara’s neck as she took him back up to their apartment after waving Lena away, Kara didn’t think much of it beyond him being tired.

But then the sniffling had started. And he wouldn’t settle down in his high chair, which raised red flags for Kara; Sawyer knew the high chair meant food, and he _was_ Kara Danvers’ son, he didn’t get fussy about food.

The wailing started when he flat out refused the food.

And Kara was in a mild, but building, state of panic.

He didn’t want food, which was usually the solution for the fussies; she checked his diaper, which wasn’t the problem either; he screamed bloody murder when she tried walking while rocking him and singing, which she was mildly and irrationally offended by because she had a _great_ voice, thank you.

She knew she should probably call her wife; after all, Lena _had_ been spending the most time with him lately, maybe she knew how to deal with it.

But Kara was stubborn, and this was her son Gosh darn it, she could figure out how to soothe him herself, without needing to run to Lena every time.

But Kara was at her wits end, Sawyer’s crying feeling like tiny Kryptonite shards imbedding in her skin that she’s helpless to remove. She had even x-rayed him and still couldn’t find a reason for his distress. He was all shades of red in the face, and his wailing was starting to pain her already sensitive hearing.

Something was wrong.

Making a hasty decision, Kara packed a bag and headed out towards the DEO. Maybe she was missing something that the DEO technology could detect.

* * *

 

Alex’s head snaps up and away from looking into her microscope; her nephew’s wailing can be heard from two corridors away.

Kara’s practically in tears too as she walks in with Sawyer fussing in her arms, his mother’s soft murmuring that, _“it’s okay, my sweet, you’re okay… look, it’s Auntie Alex, she’ll make it all better, right Aunt Alex?”_ doing nothing to soothe him like it usually would.

Alex hasn’t seen Kara this lost since those early years after she landed on Earth.

She has no idea how to soothe a baby that’s this far into a tantrum for no apparent reason – she has no idea how to handle a baby, period – but she’s not going to leave Kara to figure it out alone.

They’d do it together, like they always have.

Alex watches Kara’s shoulders sag as she takes Sawyer from her arms, cradling him close and rubbing his back and rocks him while standing in place, asking Kara what’s wrong and smiles sympathetically as she watches Kara just break down in desperate tears even as she reaches out to rub her son’s back too, fingers slightly trembling.

“Rao, Alex, I don’t know! He’s been bawling his eyes out since Lena left this morning, and I’ve done _everything_ I know that would usually soothe him. I checked him over myself and I didn’t see anything, but please, just- I’m scared, Alex.”

“Okay, it’s okay don’t worry. We’ll figure this out, Kara, I’m right here, for you and for my beautiful nephew.”

Alex starts softly talking to Sawyer as she walks over to the bed she’s had set up for years, the same one with the sun lamps because no way she’d let Kara be taken anywhere other than right there in Alex’s lab where she can keep an eye on her baby sister.

“Hey, buddy. Hey, Sawyer, you’re okay… I’ve got you, and Mama’s right here, and we’ll make it all better, okay? Trust me, I’ve got you. Bet you’ve got a little tummy ache and don’t know how to tell Mama that, huh? That’s okay, baby, that’s fine. We’ll make it better…”

On a whim, Alex flicks the sunlamps on as she settles down on the bed with Sawyer, marvels as he seems to quiet even fractionally, causing Alex to smile as she looks down at him, murmuring, “there, isn’t that better? Just needed a little sun, huh?”

Kara’s barely blown out a relieved breath when he starts wailing again, hard and anguished and loud, causing Alex to try humming a soft lullaby to him as she tries to wipe his tears away – only to frown at the warmth she feels.

“Kara, how long’s he been warm? Did you give him medicine?”

Her sister’s wide eyes lets Alex know that Kara might not even have realized Sawyer was running a fever.

“He’s not- I didn’t, I mean- maybe it’s the lamps, Alex…”

So Alex flicks the lamps off and walks to a drawer that has recently been stocked with anything and everything someone would need to examine a baby, fetching a thermometer to take Sawyer’s temperature, frowning more when it comes back at 100.4o F – a number Kara see too and sends her into a panic.

“Alex, I didn’t- I’ve been holding him all morning, I didn’t- you know I can’t _feel_ the heat like everyone else…”

Alex watches the pain and anguish in Kara’s eyes double, prompting her to reach out a hand to her, firmly tangling her fingers with those of her sister’s.

“Kar, Kara, breathe. It’s okay, it’s not your fault. And it’s not so bad that we can’t deal with it; I’ll give him some medicine and get him to sleep it off, okay? Just breathe, Sawyer’s going to be okay…”

She can see that her words aren’t penetrating the haze of self-doubt and guilt that’s rapidly wrapping itself around Kara, but Alex move about quickly to grab what she needs for Sawyer, the baby’s never-ending wailing drawing Alex’s eyes to his mouth – specifically his clearly swollen gums, understanding lighting in her eyes as she smiles softly.

Reaching over to squeeze Kara’s fingers, Alex murmurs that, “he’s teething, Kara. A mild fever comes with the territory. I’ll bet he hasn’t been eating or sleeping like usual either, right? Drooling more too?” smiling softer still when Kara nods to confirm.

Alex keeps talking, both to soothe Sawyer while she gets and administers him medicine, and to try to get Kara out of her own head, knowing how much weight is already on her sister’s shoulders of steel without the added weight of feeling like a bad parent.

Looking around in her baby drawer again, Alex frowns when she can’t find a teething ring or a suitable substitute. She throws her phone at Kara, telling her to, “Call Maggie and tell her to grab a teething ring on her way over,” easily washing her hand that isn’t holding on to Sawyer before holding out a finger to Kara to, “blow on it. Try not to give me frostbite though; I do need my fingers,” settling in with her nephew in her lap once Kara halfheartedly chills Alex’s finger, watching her sister rub it along her son’s gums with hollow eyes.

He’s settled a little more, though he still seems fussier than expected as far as Alex is concerned; but watching him alternate between rubbing his eyes and scratching at his ears, Alex develops another theory as to Sawyer’s discomfort, but before she can talk to Kara about it, it all goes to crap.

Alex barely has time to think, _“Too loud”_ as her girlfriend walks in; steps a little eager to see Sawyer; plastic bag too crinkly as she reaches in to grab the giraffe teething ring she bought; voice too happy as she exclaims, “Where’s Mini Me?” when Sawyer’s yelling and thrashing reaches an all-time high, and Kara sees it just as Maggie’s made it into Sawyer’s line of sight.

A thrum of energy and pulsing veins and her son’s eyes – usually identical to hers every day in their bright happiness – match hers right now right down to the angry blue heat he can’t controlled, aimed at nobody in particular but will fry Maggie if Kara doesn’t interfere.

So she moves faster than anyone can see with their naked eye and gets in front of Maggie seconds before Sawyer’s heat vision goes off and catches her in the shoulder, scorching right through argyle and muscle, Kara’s nostrils filling with the smell of burnt flesh as she barely chokes back a pained cry.

The three women are left staring, Kara’s heavy breathing and Sawyer’s whimpering the only sounds in the room as the infant curls up more into Alex’s arms, rubbing his eyes aggressively and clawing at his ears.

Once she’s sure there are no more bursts coming forth, Sawyer seemingly tiring himself out by this point (kid clearly has the Kryptonian stamina too…), Alex very quietly murmurs, “He’s overwhelmed by his powers, and I doubt the pain of teething and the fever are helping his sensory issues any. I’ll give him something for the pain and so he can sleep, then I’ll treat you- Kara? Kara, where are you going?”

Faster than either of them can catch up, Kara’s gone, the last thing Alex and Maggie see is the growing red patch on Kara’s shoulder.

* * *

 

She’s tucked into the darkness, staring at stars that don’t feel real anymore at this point, when Lena finds her.

It’s only because of the red glow of Rao projected high up on the ceiling of the closest thing the DEO has to an observatory that Lena even manages to see Kara.

Her heels loud and echoing as she walks over to Kara, steps confident and sure and with purpose as she silently settles into the chair beside her wife.

Lena doesn’t prod her or prompt her or even demand answers from Kara, and Kara’s thankful for it as she lets Lena take her hand and squeeze, even when her own remains limp.

That’s why when Lena silently tugs her into a seated position and gently peels off the sweater that was melted into Kara’s shoulder, Kara doesn’t put up a fight, doesn’t tense up or resist or brush her off with dishonest words of “I’m fine” as Lena pops open the first few button of her shirt and gently pushes it aside and away to start dressing the burn.

Lena’s almost finished when Kara speaks up, voice afraid and weary and heavy with loss.

“I’m his mother. His _mother_ , and I couldn’t tell that he was sick. Couldn’t figure out what was wrong, couldn’t help. I’m his **_mother_**.”

“So am I, and I didn’t realize it either, love. You’ve done nothing wrong here.”

“He was in pain, Lena. Pain because he’s got powers he doesn’t understand, can’t control. Powers he got from me. Sometimes I wish-”

They’ve both fallen silent again, Lena securing the bandage against Kara’s shoulder as her heart races. If Kara’s listening to it, she isn’t reacting though, and Lena braces herself before asking.

“Do you regret-”

Only to be cut off by Kara’s sharp reply.

“Never. I will never regret having him, not even for a fraction of second. Don’t ever think that, Lena; he’s my entire galaxy to me. Him and you. But sometimes, like today, I wonder if we made the right choice when we decided to saddle him with my DNA, instead of a regular sperm donor, or tried harder to adopt. I condemned my child to a lifetime of danger and hiding and pain, Lena, and for what? So I wouldn’t be the last Kryptonian? How could I be so selfish…”

Lena’s silent, and Kara takes it as agreement, starting to get up when Lena’s hand in hers tightens and keeps her in place.

“You’re a fool, Kara Danvers, if you ever thought his life wouldn’t be dangerous; he’s a Luthor before he’s a Super, that’s what people will always see, so don’t even give me that nonsense about you being selfish for wanting to keep the legacy of the House of El going. And pain? We were never going to stop him experiencing that, no matter how hard we try. But, Kara, the important thing is that we’re there, and we try. We’ll protect him and support him and just _love_ him through it all.

Nobody said this was going to be easy, nobody said we’d have all the answers right off the bat, nobody expects us to get it right from the first try. And that’s when you’re dealing with a 100% human baby. We’re raising a special baby, like nobody’s ever known before. The only other example we have is barely a year older than our own and living in a different city.

So you hit a bump today, big deal, darling. It’s the first of many, many more, I’m sure. After all, Sawyer’s half me, and I was a nightmare; wait until he hits his rebellious teen years. _And_ he has superpowers? We’ll be lucky to make it out in one piece, love.”

Lena’s poor attempt at humor at least manages to elicit a faint smile from Kara, who settles back against the chair while simultaneously pushing up the armrest separating her and Lena to pull her wife into her side, mumbling after a few silent moments of staring at images of Rao.

“Is he okay?”

“He’s perfect; Alex and Maggie have done a wonderful job of soothing him and keeping him busy. All I had to do was come in and nurse him to sleep.”

Lena feels the nod against her head, and it bothers her because it’s still stiff with doubts.

“We’ll be okay, Kara. As long as we’re together, we can handle anything. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a Luthor catches up with Sawyer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, guys.
> 
> This is like a week later than I had hoped but better late than never or something, right? The summer semester has been brutal and I've literally only had two classes. And in 12 hours, I'm going to watch the batch I started university with graduate live through the screen of a TV. Not gonna lie, it's gonna be rough; I'm so happy for them, all of my friends are graduating. But at the same time, I should have been there too, and it's just- yeah. Sorry.
> 
> Anyway. This is from a comment by a guest on FF asking for a Taken style chapter but since I've never seen that movie, I improvised. I kept imagining Sawyer pulling a Jack-Jack from The Incredibles on his captors though and just whipping out his powers and kicking some butt before his rescuers arrive. I must admit, it didn't come across in the writing though. Also, the style of this chapter feels different too, so let me know how you feel about this. And as this chapter shows, I do take your requests into consideration so please leave them in comments and I'll (eventually) get to them.
> 
> Also, I'm pretty sure I've read one of the characters calling Lena Bad Seed in a fic somewhere but for the life of me I can't remember, and honestly I find it hilarious so I'm adopting it as my thing too, but if anyone knows what I'm talking about, mention it in the comments, let's give credit where credit is due!
> 
> Read on and enjoy!

Lena’s in the labs when it happens.

“It” being a gas released and the building going into lockdown.

Her last thoughts before she collapses on her way to the door are full of panic and Sawyer; her son is napping upstairs in her office all alone.

Then it all goes black.

* * *

 

She comes to under the dimmed lights of the med bay in the DEO, drawing Eliza Danvers’ red-rimmed and tired eyes from looking over vitals and charts to herself as she stirs to sit up, slurring sluggishly through the haze of whatever drugs she inhaled in the lab as she tries to get out of bed to find Sawyer.

The weight of her mother-in-law’s gentle hand on her arm laying her back in bed, Eliza’s eyes rapidly filling, feels like the weight Atlas carries on his shoulders and it settles snuggly in the pit of her stomach.

She’s told that _she_ was the target – which wouldn’t surprise her if she were feeling things, if she weren’t so very hollow – but when the kidnappers went to grab her, she wasn’t there.

But Sawyer was.

And what will earn a ransom bigger than Lena Luthor?

Lena Luthor’s barely three year old son.

* * *

 

She doesn’t see Kara anywhere, though Eliza tells her that her wife brought her into the DEO as soon as she got through L-Corp’s defenses.

She doesn’t see Alex either, but Winn’s voice at his station draws her attention as he fires off coordinates to Alex over his comms.

Striding over with purpose, the clicking of her heels barely fazes Winn who simply pushes back the chair next to him, the work station adjacent to his fired up and suspiciously empty.

He doesn’t say anything to her, eyes never leaving his screen, as Lena instantly settles in and starts typing away at the keyboard, putting on the comm left on the table.

He instead reaches over and covers her shaking hand with his warmer one, holding it there even as his eyes never stray from his screen until hers steadies.

Her voice is steady as she makes her presence known over the communication lines, her lips not forming the exasperated smile that usually forms when she calls out, “Bad Seed online” over the lines – the humorous code name Winn jokingly, _lovingly_ , came up with sticking over the years – as Alex instantly gets her up to speed on the progress of their search for the kidnappers.

She’s told that they had an inside man, a recent hire in security that had enough access to get them in – a man currently broken in a hospital room because Agent Alex Danvers got to him before the cops got on the scene, before Supergirl was busy getting Lena to the DEO for medical help.

She’s also told that the DEO and the cops – led by Detective Sawyer, who was also currently on her way into the DEO to personally get Lena’s statement – have already followed two leads that ended in decoy hideouts and various dead ends.

* * *

 

There has been one ransom demand so far.

It’s a video that Maggie hesitates to show her, and when Eliza steps out of the lab where Maggie’s pulled her into to talk, Lena finally looks away from the grainy image of her little boy lying in a corner of a dark dingy room, the tears rapidly filling her eyes blurring the already somewhat blurry video feed.

(Winn, standing right next to her with a firm hand on her shoulder, quietly murmurs that Kara flew out of her after that image, and has been radio silent since.)

Maggie holds her tightly through her body-rattling sobs; gently soothes her when she starts to have difficulty catching her breath; firmly and sternly denies it when Lena brokenly whispers that it’s her fault, all her and her damned family’s name’s fault; promises her that they’ll, “get Mini Me back.”

Lena can’t bring herself to believe her though.

* * *

 

Once she put herself back together, it was nonstop work from there.

Winn spent that first day at his station doing too much at the same time, Lena helping wherever she could.

Eliza went back and forth between them, making sure they at least ate if they weren’t going to sleep.

(The eldest Danvers managed to force Lena into a bed for at least half an hour at some point after Lena hit the 12 hour mark, and then the two women tag-teamed Winn to take a longer nap once he hit the 25th hour of staring at a screen.)

Maggie went back and forth between hitting the streets, checking in on her other cases, and stopping by the DEO to offer and collect any leads.

(Lena was convinced Maggie hadn’t had any more sleep than she or Winn had.)

J’onn spends half of the second day in a room with the inside man that was stationed in her company after having him moved to the DEO facilities, trying to forcibly pry any leads out of  his mind before giving up and only barely remembering to mind-wipe him.

(J’onn’s tension and frustration is beyond palpable, and it puts all agents on edge; Lena knows he’s worried about his grandson just like the rest of them, but she also knows the bigger threat involved – Sawyer is half Kryptonian; if his powers were to show, he’d be exposed and, by extension so would, Kara. There was so much at stake here.)

Guardian is the only reason the city hasn’t been overrun with crime yet.

(Lena swears she sees another red and blue blur that is distinctly not her wife helping Guardian around the city.)

She doesn’t see Kara for the next day and a half.

(If it weren’t for J’onn forcibly bringing Alex back to the DEO, Lena doesn’t think she would have seen her sister-in-law either.)

Lena’s head whips around so fast when she hears it she winces at the pain in her stiff neck; the tired and too heavy thud of Kara’s boots as she lands, the swishing of her cape as it falls into place behind her.

Kara’s been flying practically nonstop for 36 hours; Lena watches her sway a little on her feet as she stands there and surveys the crowd. J’onn strides over, Eliza not far behind him, both needing some kind of good news.

But Kara’s hearing has zeroed in on Lena’s racing heartbeat and nothing else, and her eyes have firmly locked onto Lena’s, Kara’s steel blues broken as they seem to shine with a building sheen of tears.

Lena swallows, getting to her feet and walks towards her wife, deliberately slow and (trying) to remain calm.

J’onn and Eliza get all the answers they need when Kara falls into Lena’s arms with a shuddering sob, arms tighter than she usually allows herself, and buries her face into Lena’s neck.

It becomes significantly more difficult for Lena to keep her calm when Kara’s desperate mumbles of apology for not getting there fast enough or not finding him yet fill her ears and fall to wet her skin.

They’re both barely standing on their feet by the time Kara’s needless apologies – because on what world would Lena blame Kara for something she’s convinced is her own fault? – turn into incoherent murmurs that Lena’s glad she doesn’t understand, because something in the back of her mind tells her Kara’s talking about The Worst Case Scenario that she hasn’t allowed herself to entertain just yet.

Lena’s all but dragging Kara into Alex’s lab, laying her gently under the sunlamps and crawls in next to her, the pair surrendering to hellish nightmares and restless sleep.

* * *

 

Kara’s suspended in midair just past the windows making up her usual entrance on the balcony of the DEO.

Lena watches her with a tumbler of stiff liquor held against her chin, hips against Winn’s desk holding her up, mind numb as she takes in the thunderstorm battering her wife; Kara’s hair wet and whipping around her head, her cape snapping back and forth as Kara braves the elements with her eyes closed and her head tilted up to the raging heavens.

She’s listening, Lena knows.

Listening for Sawyer.

For his scared cries for Mommy and Mama.

He’s very afraid of thunderstorms.

* * *

 

10 million dollars.

The first ransom video had demanded 10 million dollars.

L-Corp has a strict rule that kidnappers and ransoms are not to be indulged, no matter the cost – Lena herself established this rule, and her board members were all too happy to agree; none of them want to part with their money after all.

Lena’s ready to hand over the keys to her entire kingdom just to hold Sawyer again.

She’s made the final preparations, dotted her I’s and crossed her T’s, and collected the suitcase of money like she’s acting in some 80’s action movie opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover when Maggie – grim and hesitant – strides into the DEO two days later with a tablet.

The conference table they’re all gathered around buckles and bends and breaks under the strength of Kara’s fingers as they watch Sawyer, seemingly unharmed, hovering two feet off the ground with his – _Lena’s_ – ratty teddy bear clutched under his arm.

Their price has gone up to 50 million.

The video would have ended with threats of harm – if Kara hadn’t flipped the bolted down conference table into the opposite wall with an enraged yell.

Nobody even flinches.

Kara’s gone before any of them can even blink.

* * *

 

They’re yelling in the demolished conference room, have been for the past half an hour.

Lena’s been trying to leave to get the money; their deadline is midnight.

Alex has been standing in her way.

“They’re not going to hurt him! Not when they need him for leverage, Lena!”

“I’m _not_ risking my son’s life, Alex!”

“If you pay them, then they’ve gotten what they want; they won’t have any reason to keep Sawyer safe and unharmed – they’ll have no use for him! If they don’t hurt him, they will at the very least expose him and Kara!”

“Do you think Kara or I really care about her secret right now?! Supergirl be _damned_ , Alex, we want our child home, and I can get him back, all I need to do is shift some money around, and nothing in heaven or hell and all that is in between will get in the way of me getting Sawyer back.”

In the background, monitors are flashing and alarms are blaring; Supergirl is tearing through every abandoned building that has even a fraction of lead in its structure.

J’onn lets her.

* * *

 

The deadline is getting closer, and Kara’s trail of destruction has led out of National City.

Lena’s finally made it past Alex when Winn’s chair flies backwards with the force of him jumping out of it, exhausted and disheveled and yelling about finding Sawyer.

He’s far too caffeinated to make sense, but Lena catches snippets among his rapid fire words like, “heat vision radiation signature,” and, “extreme low drops in temperature in the middle of nowhere,” and Lena holds her breath.

Alex assembles her team.

J’onn’s already morphed into his true form and has flown out.

The sound of Kara breaking the sound barrier repeatedly fills the DEO communication lines.

Maggie drags Lena with her to the site – Eliza calls shotgun on that ride.

Winn holds down the fort.

* * *

 

It’s an empty truck stop, with one single diner as its main feature – a single diner that has clearly been empty and abandoned for a while.

Maggie and Eliza hold her back from rushing through the entrance where the doors – now ripped clean off their hinges – hang limply, bent in half.

It’s silent through their comms.

Until it isn’t.

Alex is yelling orders at a rapid pace, and they can hear the sounds of struggle and things breaking.

(Though that could be Eliza’s wrist in Lena’s grip.)

And then, just as abruptly as it started, it was quiet again.

The seconds feel like an eternity, crawling their way through tar and quicksand.

(She’s not sure whose grip gets tighter; hers or Maggie’s or Eliza’s, whose breath catches hasher when Supergirl’s silhouette starts forming in the doorway.)

But she’s hears his laugh, and Lena’s knees all but buckle.

Kara’s unclasped her cape and wrapped Sawyer in it so completely that all Lena sees – through the sheen of tears forming and falling down her cheeks – is his dark head hair, and for one absurd moment, all Lena can think about is how Sawyer needs a haircut.

She blinks, and he’s there within reach, smile wide and hands slipping out of the cape, fingers making the same grabby motion that Kara makes around potstickers and cake.

If it weren’t for Kara’s arms around her, she would have already collapsed from the lightness inside her, the weight of the past two days evaporating so suddenly and wholly, Lena swears she could float right alongside her Kryptonian family.

She isn’t aware of much else outside Sawyer, holding her tighter than is comfortable but oh so welcomed, his face tucked into her neck and his strong steady breathing washing over her collarbone.

(She vaguely registers how odd it is to see Kara dressed as Supergirl in the back of a cop car.)

* * *

 

Sawyer spent the rest of the night tucked into Lena’s arms, Kara’s touch not leaving either of them even when her attention was elsewhere.

Though shaken and a little scared from being alone during the thunderstorm, Sawyer’s beaming and talking and he’s unharmed – if a little hungry (even though he doesn’t need the same amount of calories Kara does just yet, they still hadn’t fed him enough. Lena found herself more furious about that than anything else) – he even giggled mischievously as he told them all about how he sneezed on one of the bad men’s foot and accidently froze him in place.

(Alex beamed and high fived him as she confirmed that they did, indeed, find a guy stuck in his spot thanks to a half melted ice cube encasing his foot. She’s pretty sure that foot’s gonna get amputated from frostbite.)

* * *

 

He falls asleep, tucked into Kara’s cape – looking remarkably like what she imagines baby Kal-El would have looked, Kara notes with a whisper – and held tightly in Lena’s arms.

Wordlessly, Kara carries them both home, and settles them into her and Lena’s bed.

They spend the entire night just watching Sawyer breathe, his thumb in his mouth and his other hand valiantly trying to hold on to both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The musical moments in Sawyer's life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, hello.
> 
> I played hooky today and left class after presentations were done to have some time to myself and write this up for you all. No doubt that decision will bite me in the butt soon, but I'm just too mentally exhausted to be an architect right now.
> 
> I thought of this after watching the last episode after watching THE WRITERS CONTINUOUSLY AND NEEDLESSLY HURT LENA LEAVE MY SWEET SWEET BABY ALONE SHE JUST WANTS BE HAPPY AND DO GOOD IN THE WORLD AND TALK ABOUT BOYBANDS WITH KARA DURING THEIR LUNCH DATES LET HER LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!
> 
> Right. Sorry about that. Anyway. I also wanted to write something a little fluffier after the last few (One? Two? I dunno.) chapters that came out (accidentally!) angsty. Did I succeed? I dunno, you tell me. Though it is me so it is somewhat angsty in certain parts, I can't help it. I hope the fluff makes up for it though!
> 
> Also, like the previous chapter, this one's style is different again, and it's from Sawyer's POV. I think. Maybe? I dunno.
> 
> For the guest (on FF) asking why Sawyer's heat vision can hurt Kara; from what I understand, it possibly has to do with the fact that he's born under a yellow sun unlike Kara and Kal-El, making him stronger than the two. Though if I am mistaken, someone correct me!
> 
> None of the mentioned songs are mine, they belong to their owners. Who are not... me.
> 
> Read on and enjoy!

For as long as he can remember, Sawyer’s life has been filled with music.

Rather, his moms’ lives have been full of music and he’s had the privilege of witnessing it.

* * *

His earliest memories are of soft lullabies quietly sung in the dark in a language lost to the stars, with a voice full of sorrow and loss.

Though, he realizes later in his life, that he can’t say with complete certainty that it was his Mama’s voice, nor that _he_ was the intended listener.

He’s around 8 the first time he wakes up one night in search of water and stops in the hallway to watch Lena sing quietly to a distraught Kara laying in her lap, in a language he’s so very familiar with, in a voice he knows is reserved for private moments.

He silently slides down against the wall, out of sight, and tunes in his hearing to Lena’s voice, falling asleep to the soft lullaby.

* * *

Never the less, his Mama sings – often and happy and _beautiful_.

He doesn’t remember a time when he’s woken up for breakfast to a quiet house.

If she’s the first awake, due to a Super emergency usually, he will often find Kara humming and swaying softly to herself as she tends to several different pans on the stove; the boisterous singing doesn’t start until she has an audience.

Even from a young age, Sawyer relishes the lazy moments when he gets to stand in the background and watch his Mama be unaware and _happy_ , before the weight of the world curves her shoulders inwards each morning.

And sure, her moment to herself doesn’t last very long because she always knows he’s there, ears always tuned in to his and Lena’s heartbeats. But she always turns to him with a wondrous smile – like she can’t quite believe she’s lucky enough to have this life – and arms opened wide that urge him to rush towards her, no matter how old he is.

Her laugh, always contagious and full of life and love, wraps snuggly and proudly around him every time he successfully manages to jump and float into her arms.

Lena always finds him settled in Kara’s arms, braced against her hip as the pair giggle and sing whatever Disney song Sawyer’s learned that week, plating up plate after plate of pancakes and waffles and bacon.

After playfully wrestling with Kara for him, Lena will transfer Sawyer into her own arms and he’ll help her set up the table before she settles him in his chair.

Then, Sawyer’s favorite part of the morning happens.

Because Kara will set his plate in front of him before turning to Lena and taking her wrist in hers.

Kara will then turn Lena away from the bar stool she was about to settle onto, and pull her in against herself.

Lena will playfully roll her eyes each time, but Sawyer sees her loving smile stretch across her lips every morning.

And he’ll sit there and watch his mothers bounce and laugh and be silly around their kitchen to Kara’s easy singing, his Mama playfully off-key in her rendition of _I’m Walking on Sunshine._

It’s a morning routine that is always accompanied by Lena’s laughter as a base, and it ends with his Mommy breathless and held tight in Kara’s arms, so very much in love.

He watches them sway even after the song has long ended.

* * *

His Aunt Al has a beautiful voice too, and Sawyer loves sleepovers with her because she never says no to his requests for, “just one more song, please?”

(On the rare nights Aunt Al tries to resist, his Aunt Mags cuddles up next to him in bed and helps him pout at Aunt Al until she sings.)

(Aunt Al caves really quickly.)

It always starts around bath time; Aunt Mags thought it would be funny to teach Sawyer sea shanties.

(Lena Luthor was less than amused – to say the least – when her son started idly singing to himself about drinking and Spanish ladies while dunking his rubber duckies.)

(Kara thought it was hilarious and learned some to sing along with Sawyer.)

(Lena was less than impressed with her wife.)

Sometimes, when he was lucky and his moms were done with their evening early, and got to Aunt Al’s house while he was still awake, he got his Mama and his Aunt Al to _both_ sing to him.

(Aunt Mags would laugh because, “I knew you couldn’t say no to that face and those eyes, Danvers. You owe me a weekend with that new alien spear thing you collected last week.”)

(Lena would sigh in exasperation because, “why can’t you bet on regular things around my kid? Why’s it always so aggressive around here?”)

Sawyer’s favorite nights are the ones where Kara and Alex – roping Lena and Maggie into it too – will sing _I’ll Make a Man Out of You_ , voices and all.

* * *

Some nights, Sawyer has nightmares.

And sometimes, Mama and Mommy’s voices aren’t enough.

So even though it’s half past stupid o’clock, Kara will call Eliza for Sawyer.

Sawyer ends up tucked into Lena’s arms in his parents’ bed, sleeping to the sound of Eliza singing the songs that would soothe Kara when she first got to Earth and had her own nightmares to contend with, more often than not slurring her words with sleep.

Even Kara falls asleep with a small smile on her lips.

* * *

Whenever his Uncle Winn babysits, they play the piano together.

Sawyer’s nowhere near as good as Uncle Winn, but he’s a little Luthor and the son of _Lena_ Luthor; he’s smart and capable and determined – he’ll be playing Mozart in no time, he tells Kara.

Uncle Winn teaches him simple things – the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle and he’s so proud the first time he plays them without a hitch that nobody has the heart to tell him that the two songs have the same notes.

(Kara gets the whole thing on video.)

(Lena’s busy digging through her closet to find her violin so she can play with Sawyer.)

(Uncle Winn cries.)

* * *

Maggie and James smirk evilly at Lena as they give Sawyer a drum set for his fourth birthday.

* * *

He’s going to have a sibling; his moms sit him down and tell him the news with nervous smiles.

He’s floating before either of them can blink, his smile as he claps excitedly stretching so wide Lena’s concerned he’ll hurt himself; he’s always wanted a brother. Or a puppy, whichever.

(Kara has had to bring him back down to the ground on multiple occasions since the news broke.)

There’s a lot more singing and dancing around the house for the next few weeks, the words to _What a Wonderful World_ spilling unchecked from Kara’s lips at all hours of the day and night.

Until one night he wakes up in his bed – in Aunt Al’s house.

He doesn’t see his moms until the next day, and nobody explains anything to him.

There’s so much sadness though, so much pure sorrow.

His sensitive ears catch Kara’s voice – throat choked with tears and raw – murmuring _You Are My Sunshine_ to Lena.

The words are drowned out by Lena’s anguished sobs.

* * *

Sometimes, when Kara is on Super duty, and Lena has meetings all day, Sawyer gets to spend the day at the DEO.

He gets to toddle around and shadow agents who will sometimes sneak him into the armory but “just to look, Sawyer. And don’t tell Detective Sawyer about this one, or Agent Danvers will make us all run laps until our legs fall off!”

More often than not, Sawyer ends up sitting on Agent Vasquez’ lap while she keeps an eye on whatever Supergirl is engaged in, offering helpful tips and calling out warnings when necessary.

She hands the microphone over to Sawyer whenever Supergirl does something particularly awesome, Kara’s laugh ringing through the DEO comms at Sawyer’s exuberant cheers of “Yay, Supergirl! Go, Mama!”

Though when Supergirl suddenly gets tangled in more dangerous engagements, J’onn steps in and whisks Sawyer away to his office – always handing him a cookie first before settling down with him on the couch.

Sawyer does most of the talking – Kara’s endearing rambling seemingly hereditary – as J’onn continues handing him cookies (he’ll even throw in the few – from a growing vocabulary – Martian words he’s been taught). Sometimes though, Sawyer can sense the need for the quiet; opting to just curl in against J’onn’s side instead.

Those are the days when J’onn sings almost forgotten lullabies to him, soft and quiet and wrapped tightly in memories of happy laughter and two loving smiles from the two daughters he _knows_ would have loved and spoiled Sawyer to no end.

And if Sawyer falls asleep, clutching J’onn a little tighter than usual, accidentally tapping into strength that hums and simmers just below his skin, Kara doesn’t try to separate Sawyer from his grandpa.

J’onn holds on to Sawyer just as tightly, even when he’s in deep slumber too.

* * *

His Mama has a cousin; his Uncle Kal.

He doesn’t visit very often, but whenever he does, Sawyer notices his Mama smiles just a little bit more sadly than usual.

He asks his Mommy about it one night, while his Mama’s out helping organize traffic in the pouring summer showers, and Lena cuddles him extra close and tells him – so, _so_ quietly, like if she speaks any louder something bad will happen – the story of a lost planet, and about a little girl that couldn’t catch up with her baby cousin fast enough; about a severed connection that was very slowly being mended.

So maybe next time Uncle Kal is in town with Aunt Lois and their son Jon, Sawyer crawls into Superman’s lap – no matter how old or big Sawyer’s gotten – and tells him all the stories he’s learned from Kara since Uncle Kal’s last visit _in Kryptonese_ , giggling when Uncle Kal tries (and fails) to keep up with him in Sawyer’s- _their_ native tongue.

And maybe when Sawyer catches Kara’s blue gaze, shining with a thin layer of tears, he smiles easily at her with an unintentional promise in his own matching blues.

A promise that Kara doesn’t have to do this alone anymore.

* * *

Sometimes, Kara is gone for a long time.

In reality, she’s never gone longer than a week, but to Sawyer it feels like forever without her morning songs or noon hums as they walk to Lena’s office for lunch.

Sawyer understands that his Mama has friends out of town (even out of this world, though that idea hurts his head for the time being) and they need her help sometimes.

But as Sawyer watches his Mommy – still loving and smiling and playful with him – get sadder and more worried the longer it is, the more he hates these trips his Mama has to take.

Lena tends to keep him closer than usual when Kara’s gone; cancelling meetings or taking them in her office with Sawyer quietly coloring at the couch.

They spend more time than usual at Aunt Al’s, or at the park or even in Mommy’s office.

Never the DEO though; Mommy worries.

(They went once. Lena was such a nervous mess, _Vasquez_ politely – though barely – asked her to, “leave. But leave the kid. Please.”)

And never too much time at home either; Lena can’t stand the silence once Sawyer’s asleep.

Currently, it’s been three days since Sawyer woke up to his Mama flipping cactus pancakes and singing _Moves Like Jagger_ at his Mommy, Lena’s head thrown back in laughter at Kara’s ridiculous pelvic thrusts.

Currently, it’s past Sawyer’s bedtime – and past his Mommy’s bedtime too, he thinks – but they’re both awake, Sawyer’s eyes sleepily tracking Lena’s progress as she paces a hole into the marble floor, the clicking of her heels hypnotic and lulling him slowly to sleep.

Currently, there’s an alien tearing through National City, just below them on the street while Sawyer and Lena have been locked in Lena’s fortress of an office under strict orders from Aunt Al.

Currently, his grandpa and his Aunt Al and Aunt Mags and Uncle James have been fighting it for hours now.

They’re losing.

Currently, the news stations are wondering where Supergirl is.

Sawyer curls into a smaller ball at the end of the couch; he’s wondering the same thing.

His eyes slip shut for what feels like hours but are probably mere minutes, flying open to Lena’s gasp and a blue flash across the TV screen Lena’s been staring at for three days now.

The news people are talking loud and fast and using words bigger than Sawyer’s brain can understand just yet, but he doesn’t even listen because there’s a blue and red blur on the screen; his Mama is home.

Sawyer sits up, fully awake now and excited to see Kara in her element, smile slipping into a gasp as Kara gets thrown into a building, the structure collapsing.

Lena flicks off the TV before the columns can fully drop onto Kara.

It’s a small adjustment, not at all detectable if you’re not intimately familiar with Lena Luthor, but Sawyer sees her spine straighten and become rigid, can hear her heart race, her breath stutter and hitch.

It’s a reflex, one he rarely has to think about or try for when his Mommy is this upset, as he float up and towards her, Lena’s arms accepting him easily, holding him tightly.

He doesn’t know how long they stay like that – he can’t tell time yet – until he hears it; the fluttering of Supergirl’s cape as she flies towards them, and lifts his head towards the balcony.

Lena lets him down and allows him first hugs and I love you’s when Kara’s boots tiredly touch down on the balcony, shaking cement and debris out of her hair.

Their twosome hug is soon, blissfully so, invaded by Lena who has never been good at patiently dealing with watching Kara get thrown around and roughed up.

He’s sandwiched between them when the swaying starts.

He knows the song because Kara sings it to Lena on quiet but long nights of waiting for Supergirl, when Sawyer’s supposed to be asleep – though he’s snuck out to watch and listen, smiling when he hears Kara’s murmured, “he’s awake and watching…”

Sawyer snuggles in tighter against Kara as she sings _At Last_ into the crown of Lena’s head as Lena buries her face against the crest of the House of El stitched into tight blue fabric.

He falls asleep in his Mama’s arms to the sound of Kara’s softly murmured _I’ll Be_ lyrics.

When he wakes up, he’s on the couch and the sun is just barely coming up over the horizon.

He stays silent as he watches over the couch armrest, watching as Kara sings _Unconditionally_ to Lena; their wedding song.

They’re still dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, Lena's thirsty af. That's it, that's all there is to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Guys, guys, GUYS!
> 
> Okay, so this got waaaaaaay out of hand - I'm talking 6,502 words out of hand.
> 
> BUT! "Not a drop of angst, unless you count the strain on Lena's heart" - to quote one of my besties when she got a glimpse, THIS IS ANGST FREE! It's completely mindless fluff and (hopefully) humor. Like, I could have ended this with at least 3k less words because the point was already made, but I just didn't. I even vaguely dipped my toes into the "Daddy" pool, even though I don't completely understand the fuss (until I was introduced to Daddy!Kara but that's beside the point). Sawyer's barely even in it!
> 
> You're welcome.
> 
> Although I can't shake the feeling that I need to bump up the rating after this, but I'm not sure so please please please tell me.
> 
> Oh! And I used that glorious line from one of Katie Mcgrath's interviews about Lena; how is it that I haven't seen it in a fic anywhere?!
> 
> And please please please, leave me comments. If you've never ever dropped one on this story, take the time to tell me about it now because this might be my favorite one so far, and I'm so giddy about it, and I want to hear from YOU! Thank you in advance.
> 
> Read on and enjoy!

Lena Luthor likes to think that she is not a shallow person.

Which is a true statement for the most part.

Her dates and past relationships have been attractions of the mind, of charming personalities and a silly sense of humor.

Of good hearts and wholesome intentions.

Of pretending her last name is something mundane like Smith, instead of the reality of the Luthor name.

She had that with Jack; he was good and loving and wanted to change the world for the better.

And not that she made it a habit, but it didn’t hurt that he could take a microscope to the noggin and keep on coming.

(While not their first trip – they were on first name basis with the nurses – that one had been an interesting trip to the emergency room…)

(Lena spent the rest of the weekend showing him exactly how sorry she was.)

She just wishes her last name – as it had a habit of – hadn’t gotten in the way of that relationship like it did.

(She spends too many nights awake, wondering if she could have saved him if her last name was Smith.)

But even though she needs more than just a pretty face to attract and keep her attention, she’ll be the first to tell you that it isn’t exactly a deal breaker.

She finds herself thinking about this point often once she starts dating one Kara Danvers – resident CatCo reporter made of steel.

Kara checks off all of Lena’s boxes and then some; smart and funny and so, _so_ caring. Out to save the world, be it through her articles or by putting out forest fires.

Kara is wholly and wholeheartedly _beautiful_ , as cliché as it sounds, inside and out.

Watching her tirelessly help others in any way she can while asking for nothing in return, and somehow managing to find the strength to get back on her feet even when the multiverse seems so intent on beating her down to her knees, Lena thinks she’s never met a soul quite so _sublime_.

Of course it doesn’t hurt that Kara’s so… _attractive_ , to put it mildly.

Kara had (accidentally) revealed herself as Supergirl to Lena, who had confused Kara’s bursting into her office and rambling nonsense as Kara finally ‘coming out of the closet’ as National City’s champion – only for Kara to profess her undying love for Lena just as Lena had rushed to reassure Kara that she, _“knew already, and it’s okay; **I am not my brother and I am not my mother. You are who you are. You're my best friend and I still love you-** ”_

_“Lena I’m in love with you-”_

_“What?”_

_“…what?”_

She smiles to herself whenever she thinks of that moment.

… and then proceeds to pour herself a _cold_ glass of water at the images of Supergirl that pass through her mind.

Because while Kara Danvers is – for a lack of a better term – _fit_ , it isn’t the first impression she gives off, thanks largely to her wide array of sweaters and argyle.

It’s easy to forget there are rippling muscles and arms that could (and probably have) bench press a truck or two beneath the sweaters when Kara Danvers stand in front of Lena in a bright yellow summer dress, consuming an ice cream cone with far too much focus.

It’s easy to forget that Kara can tear a car in half with her bare hands when said hands are the softest, gentlest things she’s ever felt on her body.

It’s easy to forget that Kara is Supergirl sometimes because as far as Lena’s concerned, it’s just Kara; her best friend and – at the risk of sounding every bit the overtly dramatic Luthor – the love of her life.

Just Kara.

(Though she’ll admit – has already admitted it to an endlessly amused Kara – that it’s so nice to not have to feel guilty about her _little_ (“it was a very _tiny_ crush, Kara, damn it, stop laughing!”) admiration of Supergirl while having such strong feelings for Kara, even if she knew them both to be the same person.)

Unfortunately (or quite fortunately, depending on the time of day and which mind-numbingly boring board meeting she’s stuck in at any given time) the argyle isn’t enough to dampen Lena’s… _sinful_ thoughts about Kara once her brain reminds her of the connection while conjuring up a deliciously vivid image of Kara’s biceps covered only in what seems to be the tightest blue material Winn could find.

(Lena may or may not send, an often confused but very pleased, Winn various gifts every time she remembers she has him to thank for the visuals.)

* * *

The first time it happens is her favorite time observing Kara’s body in all its glory.

They’ve only been officially dating for a few weeks.

It’s nice and new, shy and shiny.

(Lena still fumbles whenever she uses the key Kara gave her to her apartment when she tries to put it in the lock because, _“I could be on a Super emergency, and I don’t want you to be stranded outside.”_ )

That dork, Lena thinks affectionately as she knocks and gets a casual, “it’s open!” in response.

“Honestly, Kara, just because you’re bulletproof doesn’t mean you’re not going to get _robbed_ if someone-”

The rest of the words die in Lena’s throat, her brain short circuiting instantaneously at the sight of Kara.

Dressed in the tiniest pair of shorts Lena’s ever seen, and a sports bra.

(If her brain wasn’t mush, she’d amusedly roll her eyes at the tie-dye rainbow pattern of the garment adorning Kara’s, um… upper assets.)

She’s gawking, she knows, but Lena can’t turn away or move (since she’ll probably trip on her jaw that’s dropped at her feet…)

It’s not like Kara seems all that concerned with covering up or stopping or anything at all; she doesn’t even turn her head to investigate why Lena’s sentence cut off midway, easily throwing out a, “just a few more, love, and I’ll be right with you.”

Her eyes start from the bottom, dragging painstakingly slowly up; from slender ankles to gorgeous calves to torturously muscular tanned thighs.

Her mouth feels like sand, her eyes tripping and stalling like the engines of the old cars she loves to fix up as they stutteringly traverse the swell of Kara's behind.

She barely has enough mental faculties to suppress the low whine desperate to break free from the back of her throat, eyes hooked on the dip and curve of Kara’s lower back. Even from her vantage point, rooted to the spot by the front door, Lena can see the rippling and stretching of Kara’s back muscles as Kara goes about her workout.

It tugs intimately at Lena’s… everything.

She swallows, and it feels like thorns prodding at the soft inside of her throat.

It takes staggering effort, embarrassingly so, but Lena’s eyes continue upwards and, oh, Kara’s hair is pulled up into a high ponytail, and has Kara’s neck always looked so… mouthwatering?

She’s sure her heart is beating so loudly Kara wouldn’t need super hearing to pick up on it; Lena’s distantly surprised the neighbors haven’t filed a noise complaint about it yet.

Nevertheless, it must have grabbed Kara’s attention because just as Lena’s eyes end their journey on the side of her face, Kara’s halting her push-up and holding herself up and her steel blue eyes – unrestricted by glasses today – are caught on Lena’s, Kara’s blues full of the concern spilling from her lips when she asks, “You alright, love? Your heart’s erratic and racing, and you’re looking flushed- should we go to the hospital?”

Lena’s head shakes no, but it’s jerky and uncoordinated, and she barely manages to mumbles something about a broken elevator (which is decidedly not true, and if the amused look on Kara’s face is anything to go by, Kara knows Lena’s being untruthful.) eyes losing focus as Kara shifts a little and all Lena can think about is how much she wishes she were in the Middle Ages and had to wash her clothes manually because _bloody hell, **washboard** **abs**._

Her body’s betraying her, shutting down on her through no fault of her own because Kara isn’t just doing regular push-ups.

She’s doing them one-handed.

Pushing up and down against the back of the couch.

Body a perfect horizontal line parallel to the ground, _far below her_.

And the way Kara’s biceps and triceps are pulled taut and straining under Kara’s skin makes Lena’s steps stumble as she walks to the cupboard for a glass, fingers shaking as she fills it and gulps down large, unladylike mouthfuls of _cold_ water.

She’s inhaling lungfuls of oxygen that don’t seem to be doing anything to calm her raging hormones when she feels that damned strong arm around her waist, veins and muscles equally defined as she’s tugged firmly but gently against Kara’s – she _knows_ – mostly bare front.

Her eyes slip shut, and the strangled moan she had – so far – successfully suppressed slips out when Kara’s lips – open-mouthed and teasing – land firmly on the juncture where Lena’s neck meets her shoulder, Kara’s voice unfairly low and throaty when she murmurs a question about a shower that Lena’s lust-fuelled brain just doesn’t process.

(As she leans more snuggly against Kara’s front and drops her head back further, offering more of her neck like a holy offering to Kara’s divine lips, Lena distantly makes a mental note to figure out Kara’s working out schedule.)

* * *

(And maybe – with the aid of some serious pouting, a few sinful kisses, and a new set of lingerie – Lena convinces Kara to let her use those abs for laundry. You know, for science.)

(Suffice it to say, _everything_ ends up a lot dirtier by the end of it.)

* * *

A few more weeks down the line and Lena is mugged on her crack-of-dawn walk to L-Corp.

It’s a standard affair; some guy in an unremarkable hoodie jumps out at her with a gun and demands she hand over her purse and watch and her jewelry. Lena’s sure he wasn’t even waiting for _her_ specifically as the case usually is.

Lena – being someone who is the target of frequent assassination attempts, much to Kara’s exasperation – has the audacity to actually roll her eyes, though she complies without fuss before stepping around the man and calmly continuing to make her way towards her company.

When she makes her way into her office, it’s with a soft smile aimed at her desk; sitting neatly among files and papers left for her by Jess are her purse, watch, and jewelry, along with a fresh cup of her favorite coffee from Noonan’s and a donut.

Kara’s left her a note too – handwriting loopy and neat though slightly rushed if the words in a line veering upwards is any indication – reminding her that she can’t make it to lunch but that she’ll come by at 6 pm sharp to take Lena somewhere.

Her fingers trace the haphazardly drawn House of El crest that Kara’s chosen to sign her, admittedly short, note with, like Lena might have doubts about who would leave her a 6-digit-coded balcony door open to the breeze.

Lena rolls her eyes because she’s dating an actual honest to God dork that’s now leaving calling cards.

It doesn’t take long for Lena to get immersed in her work, TV on in the background to keep an eye out for Kara as she goes about her Super duties, and before she knows it, 6 pm has rolled around and her girlfriend won’t give her another second even to at least finish reading the paragraph she was on.

(Though – when she’s tucked so securely, so lovingly, against Kara’s chest as Kara carefully glides through the air, with Kara’s lips against the skin of her temple as she murmurs random things about her day to Lena, making Lena smile and laugh – Lena can’t bring herself to care or worry about the paperwork that’s piling up.)

Until they land at the DEO.

And then Lena’s worry kicks into high gear, instantly turning to look over Kara when she’s gently set down on her feet. Was she so distracted that she might have missed Kara being hurt? Supergirl did have an abnormally busy day, but Lena figured it wasn’t anything dangerous; all she saw on the news were robberies and accidents, and that one major fire at the docks which Supergirl contained. As Lena’s hands roamed Kara’s body, she internally chastises herself for not realizing how exhausted Kara looks, how tense her body is, before letting her fly them across town.

Kara must see the panic in her eyes, hear her heart pick up speed because she leans in and plants a firm kiss against Lena’s forehead, smile shining right through her eyes as she murmurs, “I’m fine, love, I promise. We’re not here for me, actually.”

Before she can wonder aloud what that means, she hears someone calling for her attention, “Ready to get your ass handed to you, Little Luthor?”

 _“Maggie._ You promised you wouldn’t-”

“Sorry, Little Danvers, I’m going to have to drop her on her ass a few times so she learns. You know. For science.”

“You know what, maybe I should do this myself after all-”

“Right, because you’d be able to look your girlfriend in the eye and punch her.”

Lena blanches, eyes wide and flitting about for an explanation, when she spots an exasperated Alex walking over and lovingly though still somewhat harshly pinching Maggie’s side.

“What these two idiots are failing to explain is that we heard about the mugging and, coupled with the incessant attempts on your life, we’ve all agreed it’s time you learned at least some basic self-defense.”

Lena sputters as she eyes the gleam in Maggie’s eager eyes.

“And _Maggie_ is the best person to do that? Why not Kara?”

“Like Maggie said, Kara’s not going to be able to bring herself to do it. Plus, it isn’t really very smart to square off the newbie with the superior being from another planet.”

“Right. That’s- actually smart.”

“Yes, well, I’ve been known to make a few smart decisions every now and then.”

Lena can’t help it; glancing at Maggie pointedly, she turns to Alex with a raised brow, “You sure about that, Agent Danvers?”

She gets Maggie rolling her eyes and dragging her off for her troubles.

Kara calls out a nervous, “Love you! You’ll do great!” after her. Somehow, Lena can’t bring herself to trust Kara’s words when Maggie’s already telling her about how to treat her bruises, and asking how off-limits Lena’s face is.

There are no clocks in the training room Maggie drags her to, but Lena feels like an entire infinity has passed since she stepped foot in the room.

She’s desperate for a scalding hot bath; muscles she didn’t even realize she had are sore, and she has muscles she’s not entirely sure how she strained like her tongue.

(She can’t wait to find Kara and get her to relieve the strain in that particular spot.)

She’s surprised though because Kara isn’t anywhere to be seen (and yes, okay, Lena had sort of expected to find her anxiously pacing outside the training room door, and _fine_ , she’s disappointed that that isn’t the case) and when she’s about to ask if there was a Super emergency, Maggie’s yanking on her arm again and pulling her somewhere else, Lena’s protest falling from her lips unheard.

Maggie’s managed to push her through a door towards a circular atrium, and she’s just noting a majority of the DEO agents standing around, when she hears it; the sounds of a fight.

Her throat dries instantly, Maggie’s smug “You’re welcome,” barely registering as she watches Kara spar with Alex.

And it’s ridiculous because Lena’s seen Kara fight before, dressed in the Super suit. It’s a sight that is usually very unwelcome. So why is her gut twisting oh so pleasantly right now as she watches Alex – in the fricking Krypto-suit of all things – slam Kara into the ground?

Then she hears it, and her heart settles a little.

A giggle.

Kara’s giggle as Alex holds out a hand to help her up, only for Kara to pull Alex down instead, using her knees to flip Alex overhead onto her back, the sisters laying upside down and cheek to cheek, breathless and smiling.

This must be a regular occurrence because the sparring sisters merely offer two thumbs up as the gathered agents give them a round of applause and disperse.

(Lena pretends not to see the money being exchanged between the agents and Maggie, not at all surprised that they bet on this.)

Standing high up and looking down at Kara on her back, heaving chest, hair mussed from the fight, and her smile blissed out as she grins up at Lena with a dopey wave, Lena can’t help the images instantly flooding her mind, the tingle along her back, the shudder running through her body.

Kara’s smile turns downright _naughty_ when she spots the effects she’s having on Lena, no doubt listening to Lena’s erratic heartbeat.

If anything that seems to spur Kara on even more, Lena barely remembering that Maggie’s right there and miraculously suppressing her groan because Kara seems to be taking her time getting to her feet, pulling and flexing as many muscles as she can in the process.

(Maggie scoffs out a disgusted, “Gross,” when Kara starts stretching, Lena’s head dropping to the railing with a careless moan, Maggie be damned.)

* * *

Apparently, “becoming Kung Fu Panda” (Maggie’s words, much to Lena’s exasperation) requires actually working out and staying in shape, much to Lena’s immense displeasure.

(She runs a multi-billion dollar company, she doesn’t have _time_ for lifting dumbbells.)

That was, naturally, until Kara had put on those _damned_ bright blue work out shorts that Lena was _convinced_ were a size too small.

(Not that she’s _complaining_ , per se.)

Paired with her matching blue sports bra and a winning smile, how could Lena say no?

Of course, certain adjustments need to be made to accommodate a Super and their strength, and that’s how Lena finds herself in an abandoned warehouse situated right next to the farthest corner of a junkyard.

(Kara tells her she wants this to be _their_ thing, without DEO involvement and monitoring. That sometimes Kara just wants to unleash her full strength without worrying about property damage.)

(Lena swallows thickly; she can’t wait to watch Kara _not_ hold back for a change.)

The massive space is home to a few (destroyed) cars, trucks with chains wrapped around them, and various thick bars at different heights.

(Lena’s smirk is endlessly amused when she realizes that Kara’s taken her exercise regimen straight out of _The Incredibles_ , the nerd.)

Littered among the clearly Super-use-intended equipment, there are more traditional equipment, like a bench press, and weights, and a treadmill among a few others.

Lena’s got a dastardly idea brewing faster than she can blink.

(She’s so tempted to cackle villainously if, y’know, it wouldn’t scare Kara.)

She forces her voice to remain calm, flushing out the giddiness as she – as casual as she can muster – starts stretching.

“So how much can Supergirl bench press?”

Kara, bent at the waist to touch her toes in a stretch, looks up with a blink, glasses-free blues shining bright.

“Um, a lot. Why?”

“Well, I wanna see. Why else?”

“Oh! Um, okay. Come here then,” and Lena can’t help her triumphant smile as Kara, oblivious to Lena’s nefarious scheme, heads to where a few cars are piled up on top of each other. Lena watches Kara fly a couple more cars to the top of the pile before moving then bench closer.

Lena’s breath catches as she watches Kara lift her tower of cars without even breaking a sweat, readjusting to lie back on the bench as easily as Lena does on Kara’s couch.

Kara’s muscles, pulled taut over delicious veins, are mesmerizing and Lena’s momentarily struck dumb as she watches Kara’s arms move up and down, evil plan momentarily forgotten.

Until Kara’s voice, not even sounding winded, snaps her out of it when she – smugly – asks Lena to start counting.

Lena smirks; Kara’s given her the perfect opening.

Confidently striding over, Lena balances her hands on Kara’s abs and fluidly straddles her, _intimately_ settling her weight on top of Kara’s hips.

She’s delighted to note the very slight – but still very much there – faltering of Kara’s workout, before she clears her throat – and Lena’s overjoyed to note that _her voice is strained too_ – and asking, “Babe, what’re you doing…?”

As innocent as sin, Lena looks up from under her lashes then as her fingers trail random, downright _lewd_ patterns along and around Kara’s naval, nails lightly but torturously slowly scratching Kara’s abs as she answers in a voice smoother than silk and hot enough to melt ice, “Counting, like you asked. One…”

“Oh, Rao… Have mercy…”

(Kara makes it to ten before Lena’s palms are flat against her bare midriff and exploring, teasingly slowly.)

(She makes it to fifteen before Lena’s purposefully fidgeting and shifting her weight around on top of her.)

(She makes it to exactly twenty before Lena executes a well-placed and obscene grind against Kara’s pelvis.)

(Kara barely manages to throw the tower of cars on top of her very, very, _very_ far away before roughly – though careful not to bruise – grabbing a victoriously cackling Lena around the waist and switching their positions, Kara’s lips instantly locked on a racing pulse and adamant about leaving marks.)

(Needless to say, they work up quite the sweat.)

* * *

There are times when Lena clears her schedule at L-Corp for a weekend and moves into the DEO.

Sometimes it’s because Supergirl’s been in a fight that went south, and Alex won’t let Kara leave her sight. Lena doesn’t complain because she wants Kara to be safe just as much as Alex does (she even resorts to using her influence over Kara to keep her in bed and use DEO facilities to speed up her recovery.)

More often than not though, Lena’s having a sleepover with Winn as they pour over – yet another – new project.

One such weekend, they’re experimenting with making an antidote to Kryptonite after a stash sold on the black market fell into the hands of Lillian Luthor and Kara- well.

Lena’s been running on pure caffeine and exactly zero hours of sleep since the incident, determined to figure this out one way or another, much to Kara’s worries.

She tries everything; from soft kisses, to more annoying nagging, to aggressively – though always carefully as to not bruise – carrying Lena into a bed only for Lena to turn around and distract Kara with decidedly _not_ soft kisses before sneaking out from around her and right back to work. Kara even busts out the pout and puppy dog combination and Lena _still_ manages to resist.

(Alex squints at that particular interaction and loudly proclaims that the next project is going to be about studying, possibly dissecting, Lena to figure out how she did that; Alex needs to know for… science.)

Winn is of no help either, whining like a toddler that just had their favorite toy taken every time Kara tries luring Lena away. He comes back with a bigger mug of coffee each time, and Lena’s eyes shine almost manically as she bounces over to him, his prize more tempting than Kara’s promise of cuddles it would seem.

(Plus, it was highly amusing watching Kara blush and stutter through trying to use Lena’s own tactics of seduction to get Lena to take a nap.)

Sometime on Sunday, Alex wanders over to offer her help as someone more familiar with xenobiology, and by lunch the trio has even gotten Eliza on the line to get her insight too.

Lunchtime is also when Supergirl walks into Alex’s lab and rolls her eyes at the collected group of nerds she calls family that proceeds to ignore her and her pleas for a lunch break completely, and stomps her foot about being hungry, only barely restraining herself from putting her foot through the floor.

(Though she does crack it and that manages to draw Alex’s attention long enough to scowl and kick her out.)

“Fine,” she yells, cape swishing behind her as she petulantly walks away, “I’m gonna go punch stuff!”

Alex doesn’t even look up as she waves her away, calling out, “Don’t go far, we’ll be ready for a test soon!”

Lena whines, not really on board with exposing her fiancé to deadly material for a lab experiment, even if said fiancé has insisted because, “Do you know of any other individuals around here deathly allergic to Kryptonite? No? Just me? Well, look at that! Guess I’m your only available test subject. I’m doing this for Kal too; it was my mission to protect him, remember? And I’m doing it for you; I won’t let you live through what Lillian did ever again.”

Leave it to Kara to be so selfless about her own mortality.

The nerd trio continue tweaking things for another ten minutes before Alex deems it ready for a trial run, and Lena volunteers to get Kara.

Her jaw hurts from yawning so much, and she’s digging a fist into her red and sore eye with a wince as it burns, so she’s suitably distracted when she pushes into the “Super gym” as Winn calls it – much to Kara’s annoyance – and calls out for Kara.

“Over here, love!”

Lena’s head swivels around to find the source of the voice, taking a step in that direction in the process when her brain promptly shuts off on her.

Because she’s either substantially more tired than she feels or Kara’s hanging upside down from a bar by the knees, wearing a plain black sports bra and longer-than-usual workout shorts.

(She’s embarrassed – but not really – to say that she can’t quite hold in the squeaked out “Daddy…” she lets loose at the sight.)

Suddenly she’s _wide awake_.

And Lena’s such a hopeless nerd because all she can think about is _Spiderman kiss._

What comes out of her mouth though is an awkward and abrupt, “Where’s your suit?”

“What, not a fan of this look?”

“You _know_ how big a fan I am…”

Kara’s shy smile, even upside down, manages to melt Lena frazzled brain.

But she’s exhausted, and the lack of sleep is catching up with her, so she’s not quick enough to register what Kara’s smile shifting into a smirk means before the expression is gone when Kara easily continues on with her sit ups, like it’s any another morning and she’s just sitting up in bed beside Lena.

“Well, it’s nice to know you care. Now, don’t you have an experiment to conduct?”

And Lena can’t help the eye roll even though her eyes are burning with every blink, and she walks over to Kara, thankful that Kara hasn’t dropped back down yet to see her stumble a little.

Lena would definitely not pass a ‘walk in a straight line’ test right now.

“Come on, Kara, don’t be like that. This is important, and you know it. Now drop down and give me a kiss.”

“No. You taste like coffee and redbull; it’s gross.”

“You’ve never complained when you shove your tongue down my throat in the mornings and we both end up very, _very_ late for work.”

“Well, I’m mad at you.”

“Kara. You’re being unreasonable. Just drop down and give me a kiss before I drag you off to test deadly radioactive material on you.”

“Nope. I’m staying right here, just like this. I can feel the burn too; this is going to do great things for my abs. Too bad you won’t see it.”

“Kara!”

And maybe it’s the whining, or the tell-tale sound of tears – brought on by Lena’s physical fatigue – in Lena’s voice, but Kara caves partially, turning her head a little – though still not dropping back to hang like a bat.

“Will you finally let me fly you home to sleep after this?”

“Yes, okay. Now kiss.”

“Not so fast – and you gotta promise to take a day or two off work too.”

“You know I can’t do that; I have that conference call with our Tokyo branch tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, boy, I think I just sprouted another ab…”

And it’s cruel, Kara’s teasing, and she almost feels bad when she hears strong, independent CEO Lena Luthor _stomp her foot_.

Almost.

“Fine! I’ll take the whole week off even! Happy?”

“Promise?”

Lena’s, “promise,” is through clenched teeth, though clear and binding enough for Kara.

Lena pouts and frowns, but Kara’s smile is charming as she easily swings back down, motioning for Lena to come closer.

(And if they both end up grinning like dorks and Kara’s gleeful because, “Spiderman kiss,” well- sue them.)

* * *

When she’s pregnant, and she can’t remember the last time she saw her toes, Kara’s strength and general superhero-ness is the greatest gift.

Her flawless body however…

They’re late for their annual L-Corp charity gala.

Lena knows they’re late, but it’s a little more difficult for her to be ready on time when she’s eight months pregnant and hates how she looks in every single dress she’s tried on.

It doesn’t help that Kara’s restless and hovering, going back and forth with unsolicited compliments like, “you look _gorgeous_ , love,” and, “that dress is _beautiful_ ,” that Lena _knows_ are lies.

(And, sure, maybe she’s a tad more touchy and cranky than usual. But she feels very justified since all she sees when she stares at the mirror is a whale. A pale, cranky whale dressed in nothing but lace lingerie that used to make her feel sexy.)

When Kara, dressed to the nines in a tailored tuxedo and a bowtie left purposefully undone, steps in beside her with that apprehensive _look_ , Lena snaps.

“I’m not going.”

She doesn’t spare her wife another glance as she turns towards the other wall of her walk-in closet and goes to grab pajamas, Kara’s sputtering falling on deaf ears.

“What! No, Lena, you can’t _not_ go! This is important, and it’s your favorite event of the year! We spent _months_ planning this!”

“I’m not feeling that great, Kar. You go on though, and send me lots of pictures, m’kay?”

“What about your speech, who’s gonna give the speech, Lena?!”

“You give it. This is, after all, _your_ company now too.”

“I can’t give the speech! I don’t know anything about the business or the projects, not like you do, Lena!”

“Fine. I’ll call Jess and tell her to do it.”

“Lena! What about the board? Who’s gonna talk to the board then, hm?”

“Again, Kara, you could. You know enough to appease them long enough until I have my next meeting with them.”

“Lena. Come on, love, just put on the dress. We’ll give the speech first this year, stay a few hours, and leave much earlier. It’ll be a nice night out, we haven’t had that in a while, hm?”

“Kara, I don’t want to put on the dress. I don’t _fit_ in the dress because I’m huge and ugly, and I’d really rather not spend the one night off I’ve had in ages being poked and prodded and doubted because I’m a female CEO about to have a baby.”

It’s out before Kara can stop it, eyes widening in panic instantly, “Oh, sure, okay then. I’ll face down your terrifying board of directors armed with the excuse that ‘oh, Lena’s not here tonight because she’s hormonal,’”

Lena’s eyes are instantly blazing as she turns on Kara, her favorite pre-pregnancy t-shirt – that she was struggling to put on anyway – discarded in favor of violently thrusting a finger in Kara’s chest, Kara taking a step back from the force, suddenly very happy she’s invulnerable since the jabs that, okay ow, keep coming would have definitely bruised.

“Kara Zor-El, are you trivializing my problems?”

“No! I would never, babe, of course not! I get it; we’re in the final stretch and it’s stressful and-”

“You don’t _get_ anything! You’re not the one walking around with the worry that soon you’re going to have to push a watermelon out of your nose! You’re not the one that hasn’t seen her damn toes in months! You’re not the one constantly _touched_ by _random strangers_ and cooed at and babied! You’re not the one that is bigger than a house! This is all your fault though, Kara Zor-El, you did this to me!”

“Lena-”

And Kara’s heart hurts because, just like that, the fight’s gone, Lena’s shoulders slump and she doesn’t turn away fast enough to hide her building tears from Kara.

“No, Kara, you don’t get it. You’re not the one with the stretch marks, the one that doesn’t feel sexy anymore – the one that’s terrified of her wife not finding her desirable anymore.”

“Hey. Look at me.”

But Lena remains stubborn – maybe more so since she’s gotten pregnant – so Kara has to gently turn her and raise her head with a finger under her chin to get any kind of eye contact.

“You’re _breathtaking._ And- no, stop, no protests- I’m not just saying that because you’re upset right now.”

Nudging Lena a little, Kara maneuvers to get behind her as they stare at the mirror again, Kara’s arms wrapped snuggly around Lena, hands splayed on her protruding belly.

Kara’s voice remains low at Lena’s ear, intimate, private.

“I’ve been in love with you for longer than I can remember, and it hasn’t always been about your looks. You’re gorgeous, always have been, inside and out. Whether I was sitting with the CEO that had just made a grown man cry with a questioning eyebrow raise, or the whining bedridden woman that wouldn’t take her flu meds.

And at the risk of sounding painfully cheesy, you’re even more beautiful now, carrying our baby. Carrying _my_ baby. I never thought I’d have this, Lena, not until you came along and made it a reality. I could _never_ find you undesirable. Not _ever._

And if it’s upsetting you so much, we’ll stay in. I’ll call Jess to make the speech, and I’ll call Alex so she can put the fear of Rao in those board members for you.”

And just like that, Lena’s chuckling through her tears and leaning more firmly into Kara’s arms as she sags against Kara’s strong warmth.

Kara doesn’t rush her, doesn’t say anything more. Just holds her and traces soft chaste kisses along her shoulder and neck and up to her temple until Lena’s fully relaxed again in her arms.

Eventually, and far sooner than Lena’d like, she’s stepping out of Kara’s arms and pulling her dress off the floor, and Kara feels like it’s safe enough to crack a joke.

“Besides, I’m not with you for your looks; I’m here for your money.”

(And though she could have easily dodged it, Kara stands there and takes the shoe halfheartedly thrown at her chest because Lena’s genuinely laughing now as she gives Kara her back so she can zip her up.)

* * *

Lena’s cut her day short after Alex calls with news that Kara’s been sent home to rest; her latest fight almost causing her to solar flare.

So she picks up enough food for _two_ armies (because now she has a son and he, too, eats like his Mama) and pushes into their home, only to stop dead in her tracks and gawk.

Because, apparently, no matter how often she’s seen it, the sight of Kara in next to nothing and in the middle of a sit-up will always knock the wind out of Lena’s sails.

It doesn’t help her case any to note that a giggling Sawyer’s settled against Kara’s knees, and Kara’s giving him kisses with every up.

Lena’s always had a soft spot for watching Kara interact with kids, and when it’s their own, well…

Her heart, as it often does in these scenarios, betrays her with its loud beating that draws two pair of identical Kryptonian eyes to her, Lena watching as two identical smiles break out on her son and wife’s faces.

“Uh-oh. Looks like Aunt Al told on Mama… Do you think I’m in trouble, my sweet?”

Lena smiles when Sawyer giggles some more while shaking his head because, “No, Mama! Mommy bring food!” and that’s always a good sign in this house.

“That’s right, Sawyer. Do you think you could clear the coffee table so Mama can eat?”

“Actually, love, Sawyer and I kinda already ate. But I’m sure we’ll want to eat again once this workout’s done, right my sweet?”

“Ye!”

“Alright, I’ll set this in the oven; I trust you two can handle reheating it?”

She gets two matching cheesy grins in response as she steps in further to kiss Sawyer’s head and Kara’s lips, softly murmuring to her wife, “Are you okay?” and Kara answering her with a longer reassuring kiss.

Opening her eyes, Lena wishes she could say her wife’s gentle smile or their son’s beaming one was the first thing she notices.

No, of course it isn’t. How could it when Kara’s in those shorts and that tiny sports bra, abs on full display?

No matter how many years they’ve been together…

But it’s the middle of the day and Sawyer’s wide awake and a handful, and Lena needs to control herself before she ends up in a sticky- no! _Not_ sticky, nothing sticky-!

She shuts her eyes and blows out a heavy breath as she straightens, tone firmly controlled.

“Okay. I’m going to take a bath. Behave, you two.”

She’s just finished filling the tub, and has bent down to check the temperature when she feels strong arms around her waist, gently prodding her to stand back up.

And Kara’s lips are instantly there, right where Lena loves them most; at the perfect point where her neck and shoulder meet.

And Kara’s mouth is delicate and warm as it trails up towards Lena’s steadily increasing pulse in teasing nips and licks and kisses.

And who’s Lena to stop the heavy sigh that inaudibly escapes her body and takes her anxiety about Kara’s safety with it, allowing her to sag into Kara’s embrace as Kara’s fingers casually slide Lena’s robe away to expose more of Lena’s ivory skin to her seeking tongue.

“Kar… What about Sawyer…?”

And Kara’s close – _so close_ – that her lips drag along the back of Lena’s neck when she murmurs, “Sleepover with Alex.”

Lena can’t – won’t – suppress her shiver after that.

(And maybe they stay in the bath long after the water’s gotten cold. And maybe they barely make it back to their bed. And maybe, come morning, Lena calls in sick and Kara calls Alex to ask her to continue to entertain Sawyer for another day.)

(But maybe, just maybe, they’re just far too in love.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sawyer's first word. And a bunch after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, guys.
> 
> There're a few things I want to say here, so buckle up for a long A/N (or skip ahead if you're not interested.)
> 
> First of all, I just want to say that with this chapter, this story is officially bigger than my multichapter Pitch Perfect story - Canvas - and that makes me feel all kinds of bittersweet. We're talking more chapters, more words, more comments and kudos and it's just- that story was my baby, what really gave me the confidence to post this stuff. And sure, there's been some great and visible improvements in quality but still. It's a little weird and sad and happy.
> 
> (I just wish I was producing a chapter I was more happy with for the occasion...)
> 
> Now to the less angsty part of this A/N (because yeah, even my A/Ns are full of that); I first wrote Supercorp in all its angst in my other story and thought "that'll be that, the muse will probably move out again and I won't hear from her again for these two" but then I wrote the first chapter here and THEN I thought "okay that'll definitely be the end of those two for me" and now here we are, 10 chapters in and already thinking of more and I can honestly say it's really truly only thanks to people's continued support and kind words. So really, the real champions here are you guys that keep reading and commenting and leaving kudos; none of this would even be close to possible without you guys.
> 
> Now, on to a more technical issue. If you've been reading this - and Helpless, my other SG story - on FF (I'm on there as Doleesa for you AO3ers), I apologize for not acknowledging your comments. A while ago I realized that my dad - using my old phone that had my email still set up on - had been deleting my emails as he got the notifications (though there wasn't any malicious intent!) so I never got them until I manually checked a couple of weeks ago or something (I'm still kinda not getting all of the emails though it doesn't have to do with Dad anymore). Though, I'll admit that I'm somewhat better at responding and interacting with you guys on AO3 (you'll find me there as LePetitCroissant for the FFers) so if you wanna say something or ask something, I suggest popping in over there?
> 
> I also have a narcissistic question I'm curious about; for all you folk with tumblr, seeing as I don't have one (sidenote, should I get one? The commitment terrifies me) I was wondering, do you, like, um, see this story or Helpless mentioned or like recommended if someone asks for Supercorp fic recs? Have you yourself recommended it? I'm just really curious, and one of my newest goals in fanfic writing is to be one of those writers that inspires fanart. God, there are so many talented artists (lol I wrote artits first) in fandoms, I'm highkey jelly.
> 
> Holy A/N, Batman! I'm sorry, please just go on and enjoy the (admittedly shorter) chapter!

Sawyer’s been babbling nonsense for a while now.

Which isn’t out of the ordinary, Lena supposes; babies coo and gurgle and make noise just for the sake of making noise all the time– she shouldn’t get her hopes up.

Except Eliza tells her that Alex was right around the same age Sawyer is now when she first said ‘Dada’ when Jeremiah was settling her in for a nap, and that’s enough for Kara to be convinced that Sawyer’s about to say his first words too.

(“It’s in his genes, Lena! He’ll be talking in no time, just like Alex!”

“Kara, darling, you remember that you’re not actually biologically related to Alex, right?”

“Oh, that’s a minor detail, love.”)

And now, Lena’s family – _all of them_ – have all but lost their minds.

Suddenly it seems they’ve all moved into her home, and practically claimed her child as their own – Lena’s finding it comically hard to remember the last time she got to cuddle with Sawyer, just the two of them; even when she’s nursing him, Alex or Maggie or Eliza will trail in after her and talk to Sawyer, distracting him while Lena’s boob hangs out for all to see.

(It’s a wonder, how short Sawyer’s attention span is, even when food is involved. Lena makes it a point to tease Kara incessantly about him getting it from her genes.)

Because now, apparently, it’s a contest to see who’s name Sawyer will say first.

Lena had always just assumed he’d say hers or Kara’s names first, but their family has different plans; there are flash grenades and limitless access to the DEO armory and upgraded Guardian suits and extended visits to Midvale involved.

(At least Kara has managed to secure free babysitting for an indefinite amount of time.)

(Though a little voice in the back of her mind tells her that she already has that, that these dorks she calls family already jump at the chance to watch her son, even before this latest development. So really, the only people _not_ getting anything out of this is are Lena and Kara. Especially if Sawyer ends up saying someone else’s name first.)

Sawyer, for his part, relishes in the constant attention.

He wakes up to Eliza’s soft cooing as she picks him up out of his crib in the mornings, and proceeds to ask him to, “Say Nana, Sawyer. Can you try and say Nana?”

Almost always, though, Alex would grab him out of her mother’s arms as soon as Eliza made it to the kitchen; Alex always had food for him, and that was also a sure fire way to win Sawyer over, Alex laughing maniacally as Eliza pouted and Sawyer made grabby hands for the bacon in Alex’s hand.

But Alex always made the mistake of settling Sawyer in his high chair, and just when she turns to him with a plate piled high with breakfast in exchange for Sawyer saying “Alex,” the high chair is empty and Sawyer – now double fisting multiple pieces of bacon – has already been whisked away by Maggie and giggling as Maggie twirls around with him on her hip, dimples greasy from when Sawyer has poked them as she asks him to, “say Mags, Mini Me, come on, you got this. Maaaaags.”

James only gives Maggie another few moments before he’s gliding – _honest to God gliding like some obnoxious supernatural pretty boy that sparkles_ – and easily taking Sawyer from her. Now, usually Maggie wouldn’t have any trouble getting Sawyer back from someone – except when he’s with James because, well, _she can’t reach._ And James cackles as he keeps Sawyer held high up and out of Maggie’s reach, Maggie huffing as she all but climbs James like a tree to get the mini Super happily giggling around his bacon.

Winn has managed to time his theft of Sawyer down to a science; he waits for James to start throwing Sawyer up into the air a little ways (Kara’s convinced it’s because it feels like flying to him) before Winn starts luring Sawyer away; James barely gets two or three, “say Jimmy!” with Sawyer up in the air out before whatever new and shiny toy Winn’s created has caught Sawyer’s attention, and he – intentionally or not, they don’t know yet – floats out of reach of James’ arms and into Winn’s waiting ones, Winn cheering him on with, “who’s your favorite uncle? Uncle Winn! Say Winn?”

J’onn, who has now also taken to dropping in on the Luthor-Danvers’ for breakfast, doesn’t actually do anything beyond calmly sitting at the kitchen island and sipping coffee. But when Sawyer’s giggling at Winn stops, and his head turns towards J’onn with a curious expression before he breaks out into the (patent-pending) Sunny Danvers smile, everyone else starts whining because, “it isn’t fair to send him psychic messages, J’onn, that’s cheating!”

Kara, pre-caffeine and decidedly not a morning person since her _crazy_ family started spending all hours of the day in her home, grumbles that she’s not sure J’onn isn’t sending Sawyer subliminal messages while he sleeps too.

Lena’s just happy they remember to make and keep her _at least_ two mugs of coffee.

* * *

(Kal-El starts visiting more often, enticing Sawyer with flying, much to everyone’s displeasure.)

(Lena establishes a no powers rule once Sawyer keeps her up all night, crying because he won’t sleep anymore unless he’s mid-air.)

(Even Lois gets involved, Skyping often even when Kal isn’t in town.)

(“Don’t you have your own kid for this?” is a question often asked, to which ‘Clois,’ just shrug and reply with a highly articulate, “So?”

“Don’t be greedy, Kal-El.”)

* * *

They’ve fallen into a routine easily enough.

Coffees are ready and poured into their appropriate mugs (because now everyone has their own designated mug) as each one of them arrives on the scene; making breakfast is divided among them depending on who makes what the best, and instructed to make obscenely large quantities for Kara, and smaller more appropriate ones for everyone else (this schedule is set up by Kara one day when she wakes up one day and all that’s left for her is toast that she has to heat-vision herself because Winn’s poptarts are hogging her toaster); and the chores are divided too because one morning Lena came out to find her house a mess after a late night of strategizing on how to best coax Sawyer into saying his first word (bets were placed, shots were had, hangovers were murderous.)

(Kal brings the bagels on the days he’s flying in.)

The Luthor-Danvers household is full to the brim by as early as 6:30 AM some mornings.

The only time Lena or Kara get to spend with Sawyer in the mornings is when they’re getting him dressed ready for the day because Lena had been adamant about kicking everyone out – Kara has even resorted to physically carrying a squirming (and bickering) Winn and Maggie out of the nursery.

So it’s a massive shock when one morning – one bitter and breakfast-less morning, Kara laments, because James and Winn forgot to do the grocery shopping – Sawyer claps happily from his high chair and points at Kara dutifully heat-visioning enough toast for everyone, and blurts out a cheerful, “Toad!”

Kara’s so shocked the piece of toast she was working on bursts in flames because she forgets to stop ‘toasting’ it.

Lena’s sigh is heavy as she pours herself a third cup of coffee; of course Sawyer’s first word would be food related.

(The disappointment sits heavy in her chest for only a moment because her son’s healthy and happy and developing like he should. His beaming smile and infectious giggle is enough for her to crack a small smile of her own as she goes around the island to grab him out of his seat for kisses and quietly murmured, “I’m so proud of you, Sawyer, I love you very much, my love…” against his temple – Lena’s not going to ever let anything Sawyer does disappoint her; she won’t be like Lillian.)

“So who gets to play with the new alien bazooka first now?”

* * *

Lena thinks (prays so very desperately) that that’s the end of the Luthor-Danvers home invasion, that now that nobody wins the bets she’ll get her quiet Sunday mornings making out with her wife in bed back.

Except she’s sorely mistaken.

Because now that his first word is out of the way, everyone’s next mission is to make sure _their_ name is the first one in their group, with renewed effort and bigger bribes for her baby.

(And no amount of seeing Lena half naked on weekend mornings seems to deter them from never coming back again.)

(Kara’s- _displeased_ about how much of her wife everyone’s seen when Alex starts asking her where she gets her lingerie.)

(She flat out throws them out the morning Winn comfortably hands Lena her bra from Kara had flung it across the room the night before, his eyes never straying from the crosswords in his hand as he tells Lena how nice her undergarment is.)

Though as she watches Sawyer delight in the attention, Lena can’t bring herself to take it away from him; she won’t deny him the love and affection he deserves, the love and affection she herself always craved but never got.

(That still doesn’t mean she’s happy about the mess and the noise and never being able to sleep in anything less than a t-shirt and sweatpants.)

When Sawyer points at the latest issue of CatCo magazine on the island one morning and coos, “Cat,” Lena’s relieved because maybe _now_ this ridiculousness will subside and she can eat breakfast in her old band t-shirt and granny panties again.

(Kara cries this time, blubbering about, “I miss her too, my sweet.”)

* * *

(And if a box full of the single most adorable – and highly expensive and fashionable – outfits in varying sizes end up delivered to L-Corp from a little town in Italy, Lena smiles fondly and texts Cat Grant a picture of Sawyer grinning wide at the camera in the little suit Lena finds at the top of the box.)

* * *

(Lena’s also mistaken about thinking her family will finally stop harassing her.)

(In fact, they seem to be tripling their efforts if the multiple spare changes of clothes she finds in the guest room closet is anything to go by.)

* * *

(It takes Sawyer reaching for Lena’s ringing phone with a focused gaze as he mutters, “Yess,” for the group to finally give up, abandoning the game of Monopoly they were engaged in halfway as they shuffle out, grumbling about getting a drink at the bar.)

(Whatever, Lena was beating them all anyway.)

* * *

It’s blissful again, and Lena has her coffee machine back to herself again; life is grand again.

Until Winn – with the subtlety of a falling anvil – sidles up to her during game night, and clears his throat.

“So… What’s Sawyer supposed to call you?”

“Um. Is that a trick question?”

“Well, I mean, he’s got two moms so how’s that gonna work? Are you both going to be Mommy? That’s gonna be confusing…”

In hindsight, Lena should have known they’re up to no good when Maggie pipes up.

“Unless Little Danvers is gonna be his Dada.”

Kara, sweet, sweet Kara, distracted by food (in a ploy, no doubt) casually corrects them, not seeing the issue, “No, I’m not exactly Sawyer’s ‘daddy.’ We’re working on Mommy for Lena and Mama for me.”

“Why would you assume that Kara would be the ‘daddy’ here? I could be just as a good a ‘daddy’ as Kara, you know.”

Maggie’s smug, Alex is rolling her eyes, and Winn is looking straight up at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry, I just figured it’d be Kara since she’s top and you’re, you know, the bottomest bottom to ever bottom. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you scream out Daddy a few times when we’ve visited Midvale-”

(Lena walked right into that one.)

“Okay! Moving on from my sex life. Please? Pass me the potstickers. Yes, all 50 of them.”

The rest of the night goes off quietly and without a hitch, and Lena doesn’t think much of it until much later when she’s settling into bed with Kara, and it occurs to her that it was perhaps _too_ quiet.

* * *

It starts small and sporadic; either Maggie will sweep Sawyer away and they’d sway around the room, both giggling like mad and Maggie will whisper things to Sawyer who would just gurgle happily some more.

Neither Lena nor Kara think much of it, happy for the few moments of cuddling they get as Winn retells some outrageous story or other.

Soon though, Lena notes that Winn joins Maggie too, and their whispering is less in humor and more lengthy seriousness, Sawyer often looking around with a curious expression, eyes sometimes focusing on Kara.

And Maggie and Winn must have noticed Lena getting suspicious because they’ve begun to time it just so that when Lena starts walking over to confront them, something – often times the arrival of food – will distract Lena, and the pair will give Sawyer back and pretend nothing happened for the rest of the night.

Until one night, in the dead silence of concentration as James and Kara are in the midst of a heated round of Jenga, it happens.

‘It’ being Sawyer waking up in tears, and Lena excusing herself to tend to him.

But he’s having a bad night, and he’s inconsolable, and it’s a night Lena knows he needs Kara’s warmth and soft Kryptonian lullabies. So she walks back out with him, blubbering and whimpering and hiding in her neck from the harsh lights against his sensitive eyes, and she’s about to call out for Kara when Sawyer does it first, with the saddest little voice, uncertain and needy, “Dada…”

Kara’s hand jerks and the Jenga tower goes down – loudly, much to Sawyer’s distress as he rubs his ear against Lena’s collar and covers the exposed one with his hand – and Kara doesn’t have much time to dwell on the fact that she’s now apparently a dad.

As Kara takes Sawyer away into the bedroom to soothe him (and keep everyone else safe in case Sawyer’s heat vision gets loose) Lena stalks over to Maggie and Winn who look guilty even through barely concealed amusement.

“You two are unbelievable. Did you actually spend so much time teaching Sawyer that to what, mess with Kara? And now you’ve just denied Kara the joy of hearing her child call her Mama.”

Put that way, the amusement is wiped clean off Winn and Maggie’s faces, the pair looking away in shame as Alex gets to her feet with a fierce scowl and a finger pointed towards the door.

(Winn flinches back behind James with a little yelp, James just looking on with clear disappointment.)

(Maggie winces, and Lena’s chest expands in satisfaction as she hears Alex whisper something about the couch.)

They clear out without too much fuss and Lena promptly locks up and heads into their bedroom to find her wife and child.

Sawyer’s laid out in the middle of their bed, thumb firmly being sucked on, and Kara on her side with her head on the pillow and her hand firmly covering Sawyer’s torso.

(They’re not sure how or why or when, but they’ve realized that on his bad nights, Sawyer likes the comfort of their hands heavy on his chest and belly with his own fingers wrapped around their thumbs, holding them in place firmly.)

He’s not asleep yet – she sees his head turn to find her – but she knows it won’t be long now, especially when Kara’s fingers stroke his little tufts of hair and her lips murmurs softly against his temple. So Lena goes about getting ready for bed as quietly as possible, and by the time she’s sliding in, Sawyer’s curled into Kara, fast asleep.

Lena isn’t sure how to break the silence, especially when Kara keeps her eyes on Sawyer with the most delicate smile Lena has seen on her face in a very long time. Thankfully, she doesn’t haven’t to agonize over what to say because Kara speaks up, so quiet as to not disturb Sawyer.

“It’s not the same as hearing him saying Mama, and it’s not exactly how I imagined the first time he’d say my name to turn out, but… Rao, Lena, he’s my _son_. I’m his _mother_. It feels like I’ll never believe it sometimes, how lucky I got. This is really my life…”

Lena’s overwhelmed with the urge to kiss Kara, wipe away all her doubts and fears that still linger.

She plans to kiss Kara for infinity and a day if it takes that long.

And as she leans over their son between them, her hand gently covering Kara’s on Sawyer’s torso, her lips passionately covering Kara’s, and only breaking away when she can’t help the kiss-ruining smile Sawyer’s breathy, “Dada…” as he curls further into Kara elicits, Lena thinks about how sometimes she can’t quite believe that this is her life either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena's just so weak. 
> 
> (She loves every second of it)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, hello.
> 
> A few notes, as always.
> 
> First; after getting a few comments about giving Sawyer a sibling, I've decided that I will consider it more seriously. I even have an idea brewing to introduce them. Which brings me to the important part of this note; YOUR INPUT. Should Sawyer's sibling be a boy or a girl? And how do you guys feel about twins? Leave me comments about what you think/prefer.
> 
> Second; should this chapter get a follow up or does it feel complete to you guys? I can't tell, to be honest.
> 
> Last, part 1; To anyone upset about the whole 'Dada' thing, I want to reiterate that it's not a habit that sticks, nor did Maggie and Winn get away with it; I feel Lena made them feel bad enough with her few but straight to the point words.
> 
> Last, part 2; I'm aware of the way genetics work, and that technically, as two women their baby should have been a girl. And I initially I decided on a boy because the majority of (wonderful) fics has them have a girl - and I get it, it's somewhat due to the fact that comics Lena has a daughter (Lori?) if I'm not mistaken? - and I wanted something different. I'll admit though, the genetics things occurred to me later on, though by then we were a few chapters in already. I would also like to point out that Kara is an alien, remarkably similar to humans but still an alien; for all any of us know, she has different chromosomes that allow Sawyer to be conceived. I mean, Lex Luthor created Kon-El out of his DNA and Clark's - a kid without any eggs. For all intents and purposes, Sawyer was created the same way.
> 
> I apologize if I'm coming off as hostile or pissy, I don't mean to. My aim here is to clarify a point that has been brought up a couple of time and in case anyone else has had the same thought process. My hope is still to make people happy. Please read on and enjoy, as always!

Lena Luthor prides herself on being strong.

She’s squared off against bullies and assassins and psychotic alien moms hell-bent on world domination with poise and grace under pressure.

She’s faced down arrogant and misogynistic board members and business associates with a steely gaze and a no-nonsense attitude.

She’s outwitted and out-manipulated her own mother, saving the world in the process quite a few times, simply because it was the right thing to do.

(Though, she still notes somewhat bitterly, a thank you basket wouldn’t have hurt.)

She’s stared the Man of Steel in the eye with a smirk as he proceeded to stutter and stumble his way through giving her ‘the shovel talk’, her girlfriend _mortified_ because this is coming from her **_baby_** _cousin_.

(And besides, she’d already sat through one from Alex, and after that, nothing much would or even _could_ faze Lena anymore.)

So yes, Lena Luthor is strong and capable in the face of very many things the universe throws in her face – her Luthor upbringing that harshly cut down any and all weaknesses before they could even take root made sure Lena would be unrivaled in her strength and resolve.

Which is why she feels justified when she petulantly whines and pouts when she realizes the universe has thrown her a curve ball contained in two steel blue orbs.

The speed with which her resolve buckles and disintegrates when Kara purposefully locks eyes with her – often paired with smile that crinkles the corners of her eyes with pure joy – is downright _embarrassing._

Those eyes are the reason she’d ended up playing paintball with highly trained government operatives and expert marksmen Alex Danvers and Major Lucy Lane, Detective Maggie Sawyer of the NCPD, photojournalist by day and vigilante by night James Olson, and two extra-terrestrials. Even tech nerd Winn Schott had more than held his own.

(Lena is not ashamed to say she used Winn as a human shield since she was under attack by _Kara._ )

(Lena’s _bruises_ had bruises.)

(Kara was banished to the couch.)

(Those damned steel blue eyes had her wrapped under the blankets and around Lena in their own bed in less than three hours.)

They’re also the reason she ended up buying Kara’s favorite takeout place after they were almost bankrupt just so her (at the time) girlfriend could still have her 50 potstickers per meal.

(She also helped the little family business upgrade their equipment, and even ended up helping them franchise before selling their establishment back to them once they were back on their feet; she already had a family business of her own, she wasn’t about to take someone else’s.)

(Kara had been _extremely_ grateful that weekend.)

(Lena had needed to resort to counting on her toes just to keep track of her orgasms within the first 36 hours alone.)

Still, Lena Luthor is strong dammit, and she can still hold her ground once in a blue moon.

That’s what she tells herself to ease the guilt of putting that kicked puppy look on Kara’s face every time she has to deny her request for a… puppy.

It’s not that Lena has something against dogs – _especially_ not against **_puppies_** – but she’s a very busy CEO whose days comprises of endless meetings and countless conference calls and long business trips, and her nights are lavish galas and extravagant fundraisers and obnoxious hours of playing nice with people that wouldn’t waste a chance to stab her in the back.

(Literally.)

(One time, a disgruntled would-be business partner – whose proposal, meant to save him from certain poverty, was rejected by Lena because it was _batshit crazy_ and downright Lex-levels murderous – was in attendance at a fundraiser hosted by the mayor, and – beside himself with grief about the possibility of losing his luxurious lifestyle – took a running start at her with a knife as long as Lena’s forearm.)

(Thankfully, Lena’s wife is quite literally bulletproof and has otherworldly senses and reflexes; the man was flat on his back before Lena even managed to break away from discussing her latest project with a colleague.)

(Kara started wearing pantsuits more often at these events when a video of the fight leaked and showed her flashing everyone her new lace lingerie that was meant as a surprise for Lena later in the evening because she’d had to slow herself down exponentially so as to not raise suspicion.)

Speaking of her bulletproof wife…

At any given time of the day, Kara could be at any point in the world, putting out fires and helping beached whales back into the ocean and thwarting supervillains (who are, sadly, often Kara’s own in-laws.)

And when she isn’t zooming around as Supergirl, Kara is a rising star reporter, chasing down leads and stories and interviews.

Simply put, neither one of them have the time to give a puppy the love nor attention it needs and deserves.

 _“It wouldn’t be fair to the puppy, Kara, we can’t be so cruel,”_ Lena often has to remind Kara who sighs and nods, knowing Lena’s right though not happy about it.

So Lena feels secure about that aspect of her life, because Kara respects and loves her and would never go against her wishes and do something Lena has explicitly disagreed with.

(Even though it’s never easy to actually deny her wife something so simple when she’s vowed to herself to give her the galaxy itself just as soon as she figures out the right tool for it.)

* * *

What she fails to consider, however, is Sawyer.

Because _of course_ her son would inherit Lena’s hair and complexion and – as Kara says – “exquisite” bone structure, but he’d inherit Kara’s _eyes_.

Two pairs of steel blue eyes and her resolve doesn’t even bother building itself up anymore.

That’s how she ends up at the Luthor summer estate, supervising a company set up the garden with every inflatable and bouncy castle and slip ‘n’ slide they own because Kara and Sawyer had watched TV unsupervised.

(Maggie’s endlessly amused because she, “can’t believe how whipped tough badass CEO Lena Luthor is.”)

(Alex – depending on her mood – tends to side with Lena, casually mentioning the time Maggie saw a flock of ducklings jumping into the lake to catch up with the mama duck. And cried.)

(Lena’s also convinced Kara sits Sawyer down and they practice aiming their gorgeous but deadly eyes at her when they want something.)

(At this point, Lena would rather take her chances with the heat vision.)

But – thank Rao, she muses – Kara and her a united parental front, and they love and support each other no matter what, and wouldn’t ever do something major regarding Sawyer without consulting the other first, or at the very least keeping each other in the know.

So when Lena quietly murmurs over wine and late night TV that she doesn’t think they should even bring up puppies around Sawyer – even if they’ve found a more stable routine since they’ve had him – because she doesn’t want to get his hopes up and then have to say no, Kara agrees.

And it goes well for a while.

Until it isn’t.

Because Lena forgets to take the ‘superfriends’ into the consideration, and it bites her in the ass, albeit unintentionally, when Sawyer spends a day with his Aunt Al and Aunt Mags then comes home absolutely _gushing_ about all the puppies and kitties he saw today, and he’s so excited about going to Aunt Al’s again to play with their two new puppies – Axel the corgi and Rose the German shepherd, Kara laughingly informs her wife when she gets home from picking up Sawyer – that he won’t settle down to sleep until well past midnight.

And as she finally settles Sawyer in bed, worn out from his bouncing and talking and accidental bout of jittery flying, watching his eyes droop and his words slow and slur, Lena thinks she’s in the clear because not once has Sawyer actually asked for a puppy of his own and Lena’s convinced she’s won this round too when his sleepy murmur reaches her ear, cursing herself and her parenting code that won’t allow her to pretend she didn’t hear his, “I can’t wait to get a puppy too, Mommy…”

She’s vowed to give him galaxies too, since the moment she held him when they were reunited at the DEO after his harrowing birth.

Once Sawyer’s finally out for the count, Lena dawdles and drags her feet as she steps out into the hallway to head back to their room, _knowing_ that Kara heard, _knowing_ Kara was probably sitting up against the headboard, waiting for Lena with a smug knowing look.

(Just because they were on the same page didn’t mean Kara was happy about it, and she’ll take every opportunity she’ll get to tease Lena about this forever.)

So she stalls and heads to her home office to work and tinker and just- wait Kara out because Supergirl’s had a busy day, which in turn means a busy day for Kara Danvers too, so she’s gonna be tired and fall asleep soon, right?

Wrong.

Because, even though it was meant to be ploy to avoid the teasing, and Lena – as is the case often – ended up doing actual paperwork and tinkering that kept her busy until dawn – only going to bed when even the soft pinks of the early morning put a strain on her weary eyes – Kara’s awake and waiting, casually reading a book.

Lena groans because Kara’s so smug, her smirk small and barely there, but the slight upturn of the lips is more than enough Lena to pout, flopping down face-first and away from Kara.

She groans again, for entirely different reasons when she feels fingers brushing through her hair and scratching her scalp, Kara faintly humming a Kryptonian lullaby she hums to Sawyer during one of their more playful moods.

“So, shall I call Jess and have her pencil in a visit to the shelter for today or tomorrow?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So about that puppy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, guys, gals, and any other type of pals!
> 
> Here's the next one, a continuation of the previous one.
> 
> Fun fact: I'm a cat person.
> 
> Now! As for Sawyer's sibling. I feel like I should have clarified since almost everyone latched on to the idea that they'd be biologically theirs like Sawyer was. I'm here to say that, no, the sibling(s) will be adopted, and will most likely be human. I can say with 100% confidence that at lease one (1) of them will be a girl. I can also say with about 90% confidence that it'll be twins.
> 
> Read on and enjoy! Leave me a comment of what you liked, leave me links to supercorp fanart you love, or fics you enjoyed. Let's make this hiatus go as smoothly as possible.

Lena’s thankful for the latest PR nightmare brought on by one of her scientists going rogue and stealing one of their latest designs for the DEO, and setting off to track and kill the alien that he caught his wife in bed with.

(Lena’s not happy one of her employees lost his mind, or that he’s in such pain, or that he’s a wanted criminal now – she wishes she could have helped him before it got this far. She makes a note with Jess to arrange one on one meetings with any employee that may be having any problems that she could help with.)

No, what Lena’s thankful for is that it takes a week for her schedule to allow her an afternoon away from the office so they can get a puppy.

A week for Sawyer to hopefully drop the idea.

Except he doesn’t because, “ _coincidentally_ ”, the DEO manages to handle Lena’s rogue scientist on their own without needing Supergirl’s help – along with the rest of National City, which seems to be in a quiet lull, no noteworthy criminal activity that requires a Super’s intervention. Which, in turn, meant a slow news week for Kara too.

Which means Kara got to spend _a lot_ more time at home with Sawyer – feeding his puppy ideas with her own.

(From the breed; Kara wants a giant floofy thing like a Tibetan Mastiff – _“It’ll protect Sawyer, Lena!”, “No, Kara, but it might **eat** him!”_ – while Sawyer wants a Great Dane because Winn had – jokingly – mentioned that those dogs get so big Sawyer could ride them into battle.

To the gender; should they get a girl puppy – _“And we can name her Lillian. Get it? Because your mom’s such a bit-”, “I swear to Rao, Kara, if Sawyer starts swearing because of **you** of all people…” _ – or a boy puppy? Sawyer seems to think both, _“so they can have more puppies, and we’ll have puppies **forever** , Mommy!”_

To the name; Kara seems intent on naming the poor thing something unfortunate and food-related – ‘Donut’ seems to be in the lead for now – while Sawyer seems to be stuck on naming it Thomas the Train.)

But when Kara, smile as radiant as the image she’s painted of Rao, walks into her office on Friday afternoon, arms tighter than usual around a giddy Sawyer in her arms (because if the fidgety look on Kara’s face is anything to go by, Sawyer’s already almost floated away from the excitement _at least_ once) Lena can’t bring herself to fight it anymore.

They’re going to get a puppy.

* * *

Her first thought when they make it to the animal shelter, and are led to the back where the puppies are, is that it’s loud – loud enough for even Lena to be uncomfortable, and she glances worriedly at Kara and Sawyer in Kara’s arms, frowning because he’s already absently got a finger in his ear with a crinkle-forming frown of his own as he looks towards where they’re being led.

Reaching over, Lena transfers Sawyer into her own arms and lightly massages the side of his head and rubs along his ear while he sets his head in the crook of her neck with a hum. She’s about to suggest they come back later, perhaps sans Sawyer, when they walk through the door into the backroom – and are promptly assaulted by a wall of noise washing over them.

But instead of being overwhelmed, Sawyer’s head shoots out of its hiding place and his eyes are wide and full of wonder as he looks around, grin face-splitting and his excitement palpable as he squirms to be set down already.

(Looking over at Kara, Lena’s amused to note that Kara’s slightly blurring around the edges; she’s literally vibrating thanks to her own excitement. Lena hopes the volunteering teenager that’s escorted them thinks he needs glasses or something.)

And so, as soon as he set down, Sawyer’s bolted for one of the cages with Kara, Lena following at a more _human_ rate, and quick as a flash (she snorts inwardly at her own superhero joke) her feet are overrun with puppies.

Kara’s wasted no time making herself comfortable; sitting cross-legged and taking in as many puppies into her arms as she can hold and then some, giggling and gushing and gorgeous.

Lena watches Sawyer, his melodious laughter blending and weaving into the shrill little barks all around them, his little body so overwhelmed by the sheer number of puppies clambering to get to him that he topples over, Kara clearing her lap of puppies just in time for him to land, immediately swarmed and greeted with curious licks and sniffs and pleased barks.

Lena’s so, _so_ in love.

* * *

It takes them an hour – because Sawyer and Kara got too distracted just playing with the puppies to remember what they were even there for – when Lena notices him.

‘Him’ being the smallest little husky puppy she’s ever seen, with – surprise, surprise – intense, ice-blue eyes and a broken hind leg.

He’s stuck on the outskirts of the pile of puppies, getting pushed around and trampled when he tries to get closer to investigate their new companions.

Suddenly, irrationally, Lena’s struck with a memory that feels so old she’s not sure it’s even real; of a little girl – the smallest in the room – no more than four years old and lost; of a brand new teddy bear, bought as a peace offering that now sits, tatty and old, in the crib located in the nursery in her own home.

As delicate as can be, like the days when Sawyer was still so little and fragile when cradled to her chest, Lena lifts the squirming puppy into her arms, her surprised gasp bleeding into a happy giggle when he licks her nose, drawing Kara’s attention – and blinding yet soft smile – to her.

The volunteering teen informs them about his broken leg being from getting slammed in the door when he tried to orchestrate an escape, and wasn’t noticed because he’s so small, and how it’s truly unfortunate that the shelter doesn’t have enough money to get it treated.

(Lena’s heart cracks like concrete beneath one of Supergirl’s more aggressive landings.

Because she may be a Luthor now, and she may have more money than anyone ever really needs for three lifetimes over – she wasn’t always.

Once upon a time, she was little orphan with a different name that she doesn’t quite remember anymore, left to be forgotten in a place much like this – full of too many kids and not enough space; full of sad kids that had nowhere to belong; full of angry kids that had no qualms about breaking and bruising her, physically or verbally, because she was different. Left with people that wanted to help and do so much yet couldn’t because there were just too many of them to keep track of.)

And Lena’s overwhelmed, distracted by the little cold, wet nose sniffing at her neck when Kara, gentle and loving and _in love_ murmurs to Sawyer that, “I think Mommy’s found the one, my sweet.”

* * *

They name him Buttons because as soon as he’s held in Kara’s arms and within chewing reach of her shirt, he starts teething on any of the buttons he can get to – and accidentally almost outing Kara as the Girl of Steel.

(Lena jokes about investing in a clothing line because, between the shirts the puppy ruins and Kara’s lack of restraint when it comes to her own shirts _and_ Lena’s, keeping her family clothed will drain the Luthor family fortune faster than any bad bout of PR.)

(Sawyer decorates Buttons’ cast with Supergirl stickers and buttons.)

* * *

Buttons often goes anywhere Sawyer goes.

When Sawyer has to be at CatCo because Lena’s stuck at meetings all day and Kara can’t get away from work, Buttons is fussed and gushed and squealed over almost as much Sawyer is.

(Kara’s proud and absolutely _beaming_.)

(She’s downright **_smug_** the day she catches Snapper – face set into its default scowl – with Sawyer on his lap and teaching him what hard hitting journalism is all about while simultaneously dropping bits of his ham sandwich on the floor for Buttons.)

(She gets James to sneak a photo. Rumor has it that it sits proudly on Snapper’s desk. Nobody’s brave enough to get close and confirm.)

When Sawyer is spending the day at the DEO, Buttons is spoiled rotten because regardless of their status as a powerful secret government organization, every last one of the agents milling about is a softie for a cute toddler with a puppy for a shadow.

(Suddenly Winn’s desk drawer has a variety of treats suitable for the appetite of a half-Kryptonian toddler and his equally food-motivated puppy sidekick.)

(And tough, badass, no-nonsense agent Alex Danvers’ lab is littered with her equipment and research, coloring books, puzzles and building blocks, and dog toys in equal measures – none of which belong to her own two dogs.)

(Whenever Sawyer wanders off without Buttons noticing and the pair are separated, Buttons winds up in Vasquez’ lap, getting the belly rub of a lifetime. Vasquez barely even loses focus on her work.)

(Almost always, Kara ends up collecting her son and their dog from J’onn’s office where they’ve fallen asleep, cuddled up together in the little dog bed J’onn’s set up for Buttons.)

* * *

Buttons’ favorite place ends up being L-Corp.

He doesn’t have anything fancy set up for him; nothing more than a few chew toys and a standard bed, and food and water bowls. He doesn’t even get the same amount of attention he does at CatCo or the DEO, and _definitely_ nothing like Vasquez’ belly rubs.

But there’s Lena.

And they don’t do much; Buttons, more often than not, ends up napping in his bed set just beside Lena’s chair, behind her desk, with Lena’s fingers scratching behind his ears on occasion.

Usually though, when Lena’s got a meeting or the odd interview she allows other media outlets that aren’t CatCo, Buttons will relentlessly paw at her leg until she picks him up into her lap with an insincere apology and continues whatever point she was making, internally pleased when the person opposite her starts squirming because her little puppy has his front paws on her desk and is most likely glaring at them in warning.

(When he’s gotten bigger, Buttons will even growl threateningly whenever he feels like the conversation has grown in volume. Lena merely smirks through the rest of her sentence and pats his head.)

Buttons will always gently nudge her ankle with his head after she’s had a long morning full of heavy sighs and heavier shoulders; when it seems like Kara’s not going to stop by, or Supergirl is caught in a particularly daunting altercation with an alien. And Lena will hold him up like she did the first time they met, and Buttons will offer soft licks for reassurance and comfort, and eventually Lena’s tension falls away and she’ll let out a small laugh which is always met with a happy little bark and a wet nose against her throat.

On evenings when Lena’s working later than usual, and Kara drops in with takeout and a toddler, it is to the sight of her wife exhausted and occasionally asleep with a little puppy curled closely, curled protectively on her chest.

Rarely, though not nearly rare enough, Lena has a business meeting that goes awry, or a conference call that leaves her drained, or a day of getting dragged through the mud by the media, yet again, because of some crime or other committed by her family or in their name. And although Lena smiles and pulls Sawyer close into her lap, and offers Kara kisses in greeting when her family stops by for lunch, Kara’s not oblivious to the tear tracks marring her face (perks or a curse of having a heightened sense of sight, Kara notes grimly) and the way Lena likes to have Buttons just as close to herself as she does Sawyer.

Kara muses that she’d be jealous of how much more love and attention the dog gets than her sometimes, if he weren’t something that made her wife happy and content and loved.

And she won’t admit it, won’t ever admit defeat out loud because she’s a Luthor, but Lena is secretly thankful she caved when it comes to getting a dog because Sawyer – always happy – giggles even more now, and Kara – with the weight of the world on her shoulders – seems to feel just a little more relax with another protective pup around, and Lena? Well, Lena’s got another family member – because that is what Buttons has become, _family_ – that loves her for _her_ , beyond past familial atrocities, past self-doubts and self-hatred. Just love. Always love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Sawyer's siblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, guys.
> 
> GUYS, I ACCIDENTALLY FOUND THIS FIC REC'D ON TUMBLR ALONGSIDE THE MAJESTIC KID FIC SUPERGIRL IN TRAINING AND I'M ALL KINDS OF GIDDY!
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> If you found the bouts of accidental angst hard, boy are you in for a treat now with the purposeful angst. I'm not even sorry. (And how fitting that it's chapter 13? Lol)
> 
> Also, ask me about the names used in this fic; they're not random, and I want to tell people about them without giving them away in the A/N. I have an obsession with names and their meanings. It's gotten so bad I've compiled a list of my favorites, along with their meanings and which gender they're (typically, though not always as far as I'm concerned) assigned to.
> 
> (My list currently has a measly 204 names. I don't have a problem at all.)
> 
> Enjoy!

As a flying superhero, Kara’s gotten her fair share of death threats.

Correction, _Supergirl_ has.

Kara Danvers? Not so much. Not even when Danvers became Luthor-Danvers, much to Lena’s immense relief.

Though Kara, unfortunately, can’t claim that kind of relief for herself as far as her wife is concerned; it seems Lena will never be free of attempted assassinations and death threats. Though now the threats come from the people that shared Lex’s ideals, and consider Lena a traitor. Lena jokes that at least the larger majority of the city is finally on her side, and have stopped marching for her blood outside her office.

(Kara’s never amused by the joke. Not ever.)

But it means that Lena’s used to getting them, has a system in place to sift through them to figure out which ones are a serious threat and which ones aren’t, and how to deal with them all accordingly.

(Supergirl tends to ignore hers because none of them are ever even feasible. One of them included being pelted by deviled eggs.)

So while it’s highly unpleasant, it’s not out of the ordinary for them find these letter among their bills.

Until Kara starts investigating something she shouldn’t; rumors of drugs and arms deals and human trafficking.

And the death threats and the warnings to keep her nose out of where it doesn’t belong start popping up at CatCo and L-Corp and their mailbox. One particular threat comes harshly in the form of a brick thrown through the window of Noonan’s.

And Kara doesn’t seem at all bothered by any of it. If anything, they seem to spur her on to dig deeper.

It leads to numerous heated arguments in Lena’s office over lunch, and hissed whispers late at night when at home, Lena often imploring Kara to drop her investigation while Kara refuses.

_“I’m Supergirl, Lena; I can’t just walk away from people needing my help because of some silly death threats that wouldn’t even hurt me! This is my job- both of my jobs.”_

_“They don’t know that, Kara! What if they come after you and you end up exposed? Or innocent people get caught in the crossfire? You and I both know you’d never be able to live with yourself if that happened.”_

_“It won’t. I won’t let it.”_

_“Kara-”_

_“This is my job, Lena! Let me do it! **Trust** **me** to do it…”_

So Lena drops the topic after that, though not her crippling fear that flares up with each new piece of mail that shows up at her desk.

It all comes to a head when a folder is delivered to her, and Lena opens it to find pictures of Sawyer; surveillance images of him playing and eating and smiling.

_“Lena, I’d **never** let anything happen to him, you **know** that-”_

_“He wouldn’t even be in danger if you weren’t being so stubborn about this, Kara! I can’t believe you’re being so callous with our son’s life-”_

_“Don’t even finish that sentence.”_

_“I won’t let him get hurt, Kara, even if it means I have to take drastic measures. I won’t risk his life, not while you’re on this story.”_

_“So, what, I’m not allowed near my own son now, Lena? Is that what you’re saying?_

* * *

Kara hasn’t slept in her own home in a week.

A self-imposed exile after someone attempted to snatch Sawyer from his day at the park with Alex.

_“Where were you to protect him then, Kara?”_

In fact, Kara’s hasn’t slept much at all anywhere; the crushing guilt won’t allow it. Guilt over putting her family in danger she can avoid, and guilt because she can’t _let this go_ , not even for Lena; more people could end up hurt if she doesn’t report the truth and get it out there.

Like her people did back on Krypton when her family decided they knew better than anyone else and concealed the imminent destruction of their planet.

She’s damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t.

 Instead, she chooses to push herself to almost breaking point; the sooner she resolves this problem, the sooner she can be back in bed, kissing Lena and tickling Sawyer.

Throughout the week, she finds and meets and cultivates a collection of leads and possible sources that lead her to one man who may hold the key to bringing down the entire operation.

If she can convince him, that is.

She’s been discreetly going to his home for three days, trying to gain his trust and support and information in exchange for his safety – and his family’s safety.

His beautiful wife and their downright _delicious_ twin daughters, just three months shy of turning one.

_“They’re beautiful, Sasha. I remember when my Sawyer was their age; he was a lot more trouble than your girls.”_

_“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Kara. Wait until they’re fully awake from their naps before you pass judgment.”_

His beautiful wife that she had befriended, his darling daughters that she had bonded with.

Like many things in her life, Kara had gone ahead and made it _personal_ ; now – even more than before – she **_needed_** to convince Sasha’s husband, Maximus, to become her source – she **_needed_** to protect this family.

* * *

Kara’s thoughts – tired and sluggish from Super exertion and tireless reporting – were wandering towards her own family, as they often did, wondering if Sawyer would like to meet the twins, and what Lena would think of Sasha’s work as an artist, as she walked up the steps to the Gallaghers’ residence.

Only to be jarred out of her own head – her all-consuming ache for Lena’s presence – by the ajar back door.

Instantly on alert, Kara steps inside to investigate without heed to the dangers that may be lurking inside, even to herself.

Kara solar flared in the early hours of dawn; after spreading herself far too thin and expending more energy every day during the past week just so she could keep working, she blew out her powers fighting a rogue alien that had rocked up to National City from Central City.

Like someone right out of Alex’s beloved horror movies, Kara slowly makes her way into the house, even making her presence known with a loud, _“Hello?”_ and freezes in place when she finds Sasha in the living room.

Bound to a chair.

Cheeks tear-stained, mouth gagged, and her head shaking emphatically.

Her eyes – usually a green that her daughters inherited, a beautiful shade that only bows to Lena’s searing eyes – are tainted with fear.

Kara will never forget that look for as long as she lives.

Kara barely makes it a step further into the room when an agonizing pain blooms in the back of her head and the world grows dark.

* * *

There’s a splash of something, foul smelling as it soaks into Kara’s clothes and cold as it splatters against her face enough to rouse her from unconsciousness.

Sasha’s bound and gagged and _distraught_ across from her, and Kara’s first instinct is to reach out and soothe her.

But she’s bound too and not Super enough to get herself out of it.

She can _feel_ her head throb, and her eyes are taking too long to focus on her surroundings. Her nostrils are full of the sickening smell of gasoline as she finally registers the men pouring it over her and Sasha and _everything_.

Her stomach churns for an entirely different reason; she can’t see Maximus anywhere, or the twins.

The gag they’ve forced into her mouth is too tight, biting at the corners of her mouth, and Kara can practically feel the bruises blossoming.

She’s struck with the memory of Lena sleepily kissing that exact spot from her place in Kara’s arms, on lazy Saturday mornings, tucked into her neck and too lazy to lift her head fully for a proper kiss.

Craning her neck around to keep an eye on the men orchestrating what is sure to be her fiery demise, Kara wonders detachedly if she’ll ever feel Lena’s lips on her skin again.

They’re not even paying any attention to them, unperturbed as they coat everything with liquid death.

Tugging on her restraints – because if Kara can get free she can at least try fighting them off long enough to buy them some time to call the cops, right? – her breath hitches as what feels like cool metal handcuffs digs into her wrists. Another tug or two, drawing blood, tells her that they’ve bound her with the cuffs going through the gaps in the decorative chair’s back.

She closes her eyes and tunes everything else, her brain running through all the training she endured at the DEO to find a way out of this.

_“WWAADD. What would Agent Alex Danvers do, Kara? Think!”_

There’s a voice in the back of her mind that whispers, tone mean and disgusted, _“Agent Alex Danvers wouldn’t get caught.”_

Her thoughts are interrupted and her eyes fly open at the strangled sob she hears from across her – how did she almost forget about Sasha’s presence? – and she watches as one of the brutes heads towards the stairs.

The realization that the twins are probably down for their naps upstairs sends an agony, white hot and incinerating, through Kara’s ribcage.

In her struggling, she fails to hear it the first time; a heavy thud that repeats itself as the man that went upstairs comes back into view, one backward step at a time.

Maximus’s body is sickly pale – so unlike Lena’s natural marble-smooth skin tone – and the neat bullet hole in the center of his forehead has one line of dried blood – like a waterfall straight out of hell – running down to a stop between his eyebrows.

The contrast of the red against his pale skin is jarring, even through the rivers of tears building and falling down Kara’s cheeks.

His lifeless eyes will haunt Kara for the rest of her days.

She wonders, as sobs fill the gap between them, over where Maximus is unceremoniously dropped, if Sasha had watched her husband get executed.

She can barely tear her eyes away, eyes drowning in tears and vicious as she levels her glare on the men pouring the rest of their gasoline over Maximus’s body.

_“Have they no respect for the dead…”_

Kara silently tries to will her body to recharge, praying to Rao for that shot of Kryptonian adrenaline that will jolt her powers back into existence; she wants to incinerate these men where they stand.

But they start to walk away, not even sparing them a second glance as they flick a lighter on and merely drop it, igniting a strip of gasoline that rapidly grows, the flame hungry for more and licking its way across the Gallaghers’ entire life.

Kara finds herself irrationally enraged; these men – so careless, so indifferent – hadn’t even bothered to put in any effort; simply dropping a lighter like one drops an empty coffee cup in the trash.

She’ll never understand how humans can be so… soulless.

* * *

The heat is blistering; the inside of her forearms – left exposed where she rolled up her sleeves to her elbows – feels raw.

She’s pulled into memories of Lena playfully complaining about the stifling heat that Kara radiates in waves, of sweat-slick skin and hair stuck to the backs of necks. Of Lena pushing in closer to Kara regardless, of Lena not relinquishing her hold on an equally warm Sawyer on her chest where’s settled after a nightmare.

If she doesn’t get out of her restraints, Kara’s gasoline-soaked clothes will catch fire soon.

The smoke is suffocating; it’s coating her lungs and weaving itself into her cells, pushing out what little energy she had soaked up from the sun and replacing it with an acidic ache along her blood. Her eyes burn, and no matter how hard she tries, her eyes won’t produce any moisture to soothe the pain.

Gagging as she tries to cough, Kara finally understands why the firefighters in particular are especially grateful for her help; this is the worst kind of death she can picture.

Dimly, distantly, Kara notes the irony that she’s going to meet the same ending her parents sent her across galaxies to escape.

The thought is bittersweet; Kryptonian to the very end, even in death.

Her wrists bleed from where she tries again, futilely, to get loose before slumping in her chair and giving up – locking eyes with Sasha.

The guilt, as heavy as the weight of her lost world, crushes her lungs and steals what was left of Kara’s breath; she did this. She came into this family’s life, like a dog with a bone, and all but pulled the trigger that ended Maximus’s life, dropped the lighter that burnt Sasha’s home and life to the ground.

In trying to save her own family, she doomed another’s.

Not Supergirl in a fight against otherworldly aliens.

_Her._

Kara Danvers.

Because she refused to follow in her family’s legacy of burying the truth.

Would Lena think of her differently?

Would Sawyer remember her when he gets older? Would he think of her as a hero?

Forcing herself to maintain eye contact, Kara feels the guilt multiply infinitely as she looks in to Sasha’s clear eyes, full of remorse, not for letting Kara into their lives and bringing about their downfall like Kara expected – _hoped for_ – but remorse for letting Kara get caught in this too, for taking Kara from her wife and son.

Not a trace of blame or anger.

Kara wants to shake her and scream at Sasha, beg her to hate Kara for the destruction she’s brought on them. _Anything_ would be better than the understanding she sees reflected back at her.

Kara doesn’t deserve it.

* * *

Kara’s wondering if the neighbors have called 911 yet when she hears it.

Wailing.

Not of fire trucks.

Of scared toddlers, drifting down to them even over the deafening roar of the flames around them.

Her head whips over to lock eyes with Sasha again, whose eyes are shining with equal measure hope and desperation.

Kara has to get them all out of here.

Looking around again, she notes the flames licking their way closer. Too close because suddenly she cries out, muffled though it may be; the flames behind her have grown and seared her hands. Instinctively, she tries to move away, and the chair creaks.

And then Kara realizes her legs weren’t bound – and she curses herself for not realizing sooner before the house went up in flames – and she gets an idea.

Struggling to her feet with the weight of the chair on her back, Kara closes her eyes and harshly falls back onto the chair, splintering it with another pained cry.

Crawling to her knees, and barely preventing herself from toppling sideways into the fire, Kara gets to her feet and forcefully falls back onto the chair again, breaking it away and pulling her wrists – bleeding and possibly broken – free.

With shaking fingers, she pulls the gag away and coughs out as much smoke as she can while rushing Sasha’s aid, pulling her gag free too.

“Kara! The girls, please- get my girls out of here!”

“I will, as soon as I get you free-”

“No! Kara, there’s no time, get my girls out first, I’m begging you!”

“Sasha, I can’t – _I won’t_ – leave you here!”

“Then be quick and come back for me, but please, them first- Kara, you’re a mother too, please…”

That sealed the deal, flooding Kara’s mind with images of Sawyer trapped in an inferno like this with her and one other person. Kara would want them to get her son out first too.

“I’ll be back for you, Sasha, I promise.”

And she bolts, shrugging out of as many gasoline-covered articles of clothing as she can while dodging fires left and right.

The stairs are barely holding up, and Kara takes them two and three at a time, bursting into the smoke-filled nursery, wasting no time in crossing to the twins and scooping them up as best as she can when her injured wrists and their squirming.

Their terrified screams in her ears is all she can hear as Kara races down and towards the front door where she can hear fire truck sirens wailing.

She doesn’t notice the fire blazing towards the kitchen where the gas cylinder sits.

She doesn’t notice the new family portrait Sasha had been gushing about only yesterday, hanging in the foyer, frame melting, glass shattered, fire eating away at Maximus and Sasha’s proud faces.

She doesn’t hear Sasha’s relieved, “Take care of them, Supergirl.”

* * *

Maggie’s there – hearing the address and knowing about Kara’s story – to barely catch Kara stumbling out of the burning house with two soot-covered toddlers screaming bloody murder.

Maggie’s there to barely manage to wrap her arms around the twins before Kara drops them in her haste to run back into the flaming deathtrap, expertly dodging firemen trying to hold her back and ignoring Maggie’s frantic cries for her to stop and come back.

Maggie’s there to barely shield the twins when the house blows up.

Maggie’s there to barely transfer the twins into the arms of waiting paramedics and rush to Kara’s side when the force of the explosion throws her back, and she’s plunged into darkness for the second time in one day.

* * *

Kara’s numb.

Burns bandaged and lungs treated for smoke inhalation, but numb.

She hasn’t moved from her spot between the two cribs Alex set up for the twins in the DEO’s med bay, only looking away from one to look at the other, her thumbs the only part of her moving across the backs of their hands in hers.

Kara barely lets her exhale escape her in a shuddering breath when she feels familiar arms wrap around her neck from behind.

Kara’s next inhale is slow when fingers she’s _intimately_ familiar with shake as they slide under her neckline, expecting the resistance of a blue suit only to be met with hot, fragile flesh, and a broken heartbeat.

Kara’s eyes slip shut for longer than a blink in what feels like forever when Lena’s loving lips make lingering contact with her temple.

Lena doesn’t yell at her about how stupid it is to run _towards_ a burning building when she’s solar flared and so very _mortal_.

Lena doesn’t go on a tirade about not being informed that Kara solar flared to begin with.

Lena doesn’t berate her for pursuing her story and destroying innocent lives.

And Kara wishes _someone_ would.

Instead, her wife holds her close as she finally cracks and breaks and sobs, burnt and scarred and stitched hands finally moving away from the girls to cover her own face, if only to hold on to the pieces of her that shatter and break away.

Screams about how this is all her fault, how she doesn’t deserve anyone care and forgiveness, how they should have let her get back into the house for Sasha.

It feels like hours before Kara’s tears finally stop, and she sags against Lena’s front that is still acting as her support – physically and emotionally.

“I can’t- they’re my responsibility now, Lena, I can’t leave them to the state, I can’t- I owe them too much. And I love them.”

Kara feels Lena’s fingers stroking over her skin, still under her shirt, her bare, unsuited flesh an unwelcome reminder about Kara’s current vulnerability.

A harsh reminder for Lena about how close Kara came to losing her life.

A cruel reminder of the people that _did_.

Lena’s lips, hardly moved from their home against Kara’s temple, drag against Kara’s skin as she murmurs, “What’re their names, love?”

Lena holds Kara close enough to feel her throat bob against the harsh swallow, her head following Kara’s as it turns first to the right then the left.

_“Kara, I want you to meet our girls, Luka and Luna. The light and moon of our lives.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara reflects on her favorite things. Well, only one favorite thing, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, hello. Welcome back if you're still reading this. And welcome if you've just found this.
> 
> I'm sorry; I went from almost bi-weekly updates to absolutely nothing for 4 months.
> 
> Remember that class I failed and was retaking? Yeah, that didn't work out any better the second time. So that hit my inspiration hard. Then that whole SDCC mess happened and I was really disheartened. But then that didn't stop people from creating and being amazing creative people, so I did this, for me and you and the little Happy Meal toy Supergirl that my sister got me from Prague that sits on my bedside table. I did it for Kara. And now that the new season started, and while I'm so angry about so much that happened and will happen, I'm tentatively, cautiously hopeful.
> 
> Anyway, I'm aware that the last chapter left things to be addressed, and I hope I do get to do that soon, but for right now, I wanted to do this. This being the third attempt at a chapter like Lena's thirst chapter (chapter 9) but from Kara's POV, except it turned out kinda soft and loving and sappy instead. It ended up being my attempt at putting into words how Hozier's Work Song makes me feel, so that's the vibe for this chapter, you'll even notice paraphrased lines, though it isn't a word for word song fic.
> 
> As always, leave me comments and thoughts, especially on this one. This was shaping up to be one of my favorite chapters but now it just feels... good. Not great, just good. So the more details you feel inclined to share with me, the better.
> 
> Also, neither Sawyer nor the twins are in this, this is about Kara and Lena (and a little bit of Alex) but no kids.
> 
> Also, and this isn't to do with CoOGS, but I wrote another story a while ago called Super Everlasting, and it didn't get much love so this is me shamelessly self promoting and asking people to give me thoughts on it please.
> 
> I also went ahead and made a tumblr over the summer that I'm still not too good about using - like, what even are tags? I swear, I'm too old to be getting new social media accounts and learning new things; there are too many buttons... - so you can come talk to me there and we can bounce ideas off each other or drop me prompts or inbox me (I think it's open? I don't know, I'm too old you guys). Find me at dishonoringthefamilycow.

When Kara Zor-El’s entire planet bursts into fire and ash, lost among the stars, she learns a valuable lesson – appreciate things more fully; commit everything – right down to the most frivolous detail – to memory because it’s true what they say, you never know what you have until you’ve lost it.

(If only she hadn’t had to pay such a steep price to learn it.)

But now she clings to that lesson, a silent motto she lives by.

Like when she sees a bird soaring through the sky, or an entire flock headed south for winter, she stops and admires, no matter how many years it’s been since she’s discovered birds, awed despite the fact that she herself is _flying_ among them.

Like when she finds a new brand of coffee for her mornings that hits _just_ the right spot, she’ll tune all her heightened senses to it – from the noise and whir of the machine; to the rich bitter aroma filling her apartment; to the warmth of the plain white mug in her palm; to the deep dark color as she takes it black; to the first drop that hits her tongue, scalding and smooth, that conjures up visions of green eyes and sinful red lips.

(She risks Snapper’s wrath on these rare mornings, serenely walking into CatCo late and uncaring as he snips and assigns her articles about the faulty sewage system on Second Avenue.)

* * *

Like Alex.

Alex, who ends up introducing her – sometimes begrudgingly so – to most of her favorite things.

Like the ocean, because the smell of the salty breeze tended to cling to Alex in the early hours of dawn.

Like the sounds of popping popcorn because it’s a reminder of an afternoon spent huddled under the table with Alex, and a promise of long summer nights in, watching endless classic movies.

Like the chill of the pint of ice cream silently pressed into Kara’s hands after her first report card comes in and her A+ in Science is followed by a jarring D- in English, and the warmth of the softest fuzzy blanket – that doesn’t irritate her incredibly sensitive skin – draped across her shoulders like a cape.

Like the comforting weight of _Alex_ settling in with her in bed late at night when her tears _just won’t stop_ and her anguish over a lost life feels heavier than what she can carry even under a yellow sun.

Alex, who is Kara’s yellow sun, and the reason she believes in soulmates.

* * *

Kara basks in all of her favorite things.

Basks in all that is _Lena_.

Because if Alex is the yellow sun, then Lena is the heavens above and the earths below and all the stars in between.

Lena, who is the warmth of Rao’s red light reborn on Earth to make Kara’s very soul sing.

* * *

Lena, who grew up in the cold Luthor Mansion where Lionel was always too busy, and Lillian didn’t care about her.

(When Lex was still Lex and her favorite person in the universe.)

Where there wasn’t much in the way of traditions.

Lena, who doesn’t necessarily understand the fuss regarding traditions, but will make so much of it for Kara’s Earth birthday.

Lena, who times it so one week of her annual leave each year falls during Kara’s Earth birthday, and goes out of her way to spoil Kara rotten.

Lena, who wakes up at 3AM before the sun – before _Kara_ – to make sure their picnic is ready for their breakfast in the light of dawn.

Lena, who flies in a French baker with a laundry list of absurd demands, like a treehouse with a south-western facing bedroom and 20 eggs from a particularly massaged chicken in Iowa.

And Lena complies because Kara loves cake, loves cake made specifically by this person because it’s a reminder of their impromptu weekend getaway to Paris where they spent their days walking hand in hand trying all manners of food, and their nights spent tangled in sheets and lost in each other.

So Lena builds treehouses and underground bunkers and considers just buying the damned chicken from Iowa because the smile on Kara’s face at the sight of the cakes – one for each day of the week every year – is more than worth it.

Lena, who makes plans and sends the Danvers Sisters away to spend the day alone together, arranging spa days and karaoke nights and exclusive first tastings in restaurants booked solid for months in advance otherwise.

And Lena, who ends the day – every day – lighting candles in every nook and cranny of her – _their_ – penthouse, dressed in nothing more than Kara’s own favorite button down on her and expensive lingerie to greet Kara when her day with Alex ends.

Lena, who fills her with so much love, Kara swears she can barely eat.

* * *

Lena, who was forced to grow up too quickly under Lillian’s cruel reign and mastered the art of being a serious businesswoman by the age of 24.

Lena, who is strong and stoic and smart, who boldly commands a meeting with a firm tone and daring colors.

Lena, who is known internationally for being a force to be reckoned with.

Lena, who projects a beast of an image because it’s a man’s world she temporarily lives in while she climbs her way to the top to rule it.

A fearsome, beast of an image to keep her peers busy and distracted while she sneaks off to the amusement park she’s rented out for the day for the children in the orphanage she’s quietly built.

Lena, who does charity not for tax purposes or positive public recognition.

Lena, who spends Saturdays reading to children in the public library, who pulls the kids and their books of choice to her lap and reads every letter of every word in whatever silly voice or accent will make them laugh hardest.

Lena, who spends Sundays playing with blocks and making intricate jigsaw puzzles and just listening to fantastical stories about far off worlds weaved for her by the alien children in the orphanage that takes in the aliens of National City who were orphaned because the race of Men is harsh and unforgiving and scared, the aliens that escaped one vicious world only to get lost in another one on their way to their intended utopia.

Lena, who works her hardest to find cures, and spends hours kissing away booboos, and cries all night after each little _too_ _soon_ funeral she attends, aching for days after every time she glances at the piles of artwork she’s collected from the Luthor Family Children’s Hospital – some of her most prized possessions.

Lena, who is more caring and loving than any being Kara’s ever met on any planet or in any universe.

Lena, who is so sweet, Kara swears she gets toothaches just from kissing her.

* * *

Lena, who is sharp angles and hard lines.

Like a strong jawline that often clenches with determination and necessary restraint – a jawline Kara loves tracing with her lips.

Like a smooth neck that stretches taut with pride and stubbornness in the face of obnoxious old men – a neck that Kara adores trailing her fingers along in the late hours of the night until Lena slowly falls asleep.

Like a sharp tongue that is always ready to strike life-altering business deals or strike down insolent individuals – a tongue that captivates Kara with every letter it forms.

Lena, who sheds all of her pointy bits the moment _Kara_ is in her orbit.

Lena, who melts into continuous curves, soft and pliable and moldable under the influence of Kara’s words and gaze and touches, under Kara’s lips.

Lena, who pays the closest attention to every detail that makes Kara brighten, every word that makes Kara smile, every look that makes Kara shiver, every touch that makes Kara tremble.

Lena, who learns all there is to know, all that is _Kara_.

Lena, who knows that there isn’t a human on Earth that can exert enough pressure to offer a tight enough hug for Kara to feel on her bad days.

Lena, who eagerly goes out of her way to explore other options.

Like Eliza’s advice to scratch one particular spot at the base of Kara’s skull when she can’t sleep because the nightmares are too vivid.

Like Alex’s tip about temple massages and gentle circular pressure below and around her eyes when Kara’s pushed her heatvision one scream short of a solar flare.

Lena, who learns a few things on her own too.

Learns about how much her various shades of red lipstick drive Kara mad with want, so Lena stocks up on them to use only for Kara, for _marking_ Kara whose skin can’t be marred otherwise.

Learns about how taut Kara’s muscles become when they attend galas and men – like Maxwell Lord and Morgan Edge – have sugar-coated, vile things to say to Lena, and Kara’s fists clench tight enough that Lena’s worried a few times about Kara’s knuckles breaking through her skin.

Learns that the only way Kara loosens up again, long after Lena’s personally dealt with the less than esteemed gentlemen – because Kara would never undermine Lena’s strength or lessen her to a damsel by punching their lights out how she’d really like to – is by gentle fingers dragging perfectly manicured nails along the inside of Kara’s wrist while she murmurs sweet nothings against the skin of her jaw where she’s finished pressing loving kisses.

Learns the intricate rhythm of Kara’s heartbeat against her thumb when the rest of her hand’s curved around a tensing or bobbing or swallowing throat.

Because when Kara hops into her office midday with lunch and a smile, or stumbles into their bedroom in the wee hours of dawn after hours of brutal fighting and forming bruises, Lena’s palms itch.

Itch to rest against a crest that drove her beloved brother mad and tore her already dysfunctional existence apart, trace a crest that saves her life every second she breathes.

Itch to feel too warm flesh and the hammering of a pulse, the rush of blood.

Itch to _know_ that the pounding pulse is still there, strong and steady and loud enough even for her human ears.

Learns about how sensitive Kara’s neck can be on the best of days, but _more_ after she solar flares, when she’s vulnerable and soft and feels _too much_ pressure, when she’s most like a _Kryptonian_ again.

And Lena spends hours upon hours trailing the backs of her fingers along Kara’s throat and thumbs stumbling over protruding collarbones only to land in the delicate dip in between until Kara’s cooled skin stops crawling.

Lena, who never really grew up knowing how to offer comfort, much less how be physical about it, but never hesitates about giving her _all_ to Kara, no matter what wrong Kara’s hands or body have done.

* * *

So, yeah. Kara has an entire planet worth of little details and favorite things.

None quite measure up to the vision that is Lena Luthor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena's outfit makes headlines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, hello!
> 
> So this is inspired by a blurry photo I saw ages ago on tumblr when I was still a lurker (so tell me whose post it is if you know what I'm talking about) that was maybe Katie Mcgrath walking down the street wearing a- specific t-shirt.
> 
> Anyway, long story short, here's a (hopefully) lighter chapter that even features the twins. It even feels a little crack-y by the end, but oh well. They can't all be winners.
> 
> Read on and leave me a comment! It helps more than you know.

Lena Luthor hates the politics of business.

Hates having to play nice with people that wouldn’t hesitate before trying to usurp her power and company, hates having to smile at people like she hasn’t just heard them lamenting the days of Lex and his maniacal schemes.

But she does it with poise and grace and a smile that oozes charm because she needs these sleazy, shady individuals to stay in a good mood, needs to remain in their good graces.

Because, while Lena is _rich_ , she isn’t rich enough to singlehandedly save the world like she wants.

(Yet.)

* * *

Lena Luthor _adores_ all the charity work she gets to do.

Her galas and her opening events and all the research into finding a cure for all of the world’s ills.

All the good deeds she’s meticulous about keeping away from prying eyes and camera lenses.

But her absolute favorite is her visits to her family’s Children Hospital.

Because, while all the glitz and the glam and the dressing up is wonderful, there’s a certain charm to putting on her comfiest pair of jeans and letting her hair down and keeping her makeup light.

(It’s one of Kara’s favorite looks too.)

After she becomes a mom, it becomes one of her special times alone with Sawyer and the twins.

(Though she makes sure to keep them away from the terminal kids in their last days and hours because there’s so much pain and hurt and heartbreak that she herself can barely handle, her children don’t need to worry about it just yet.)

Sawyer loves the quieter moments, like getting together with the friends he’s made and working on the “grown up” jigsaw puzzles Lena gets them.

(This week’s puzzle is a custom-made, 1000-pieced bird’s eye view of National City, taken by one Pulitzer-prize-winning photojournalist with the aid of a resident superhero.)

The twins – once they’ve officially joined the family and slowly adjusted to their new lives and routines – are just barely 18 months old when they start visiting the hospital with Lena.

And Luna takes to it like a duck to water; eagerly running around and exploring the play areas, joining kids – big and small – to play or color or just make friends.

Luka, though, tends to stay close to Lena’s side wherever she goes, or – whenever she feels that it’s safe to venture away from Lena – sits beside Sawyer to watch him methodically build whatever puzzle he and the kids are working on.

(Lena smiles sadly because Luka never goes far and always makes sure to keep herself in Lena’s line of sight – or rather, keep Lena in her own sights.)

* * *

(Sawyer always ends up abandoning his puzzle in favor of taking Luka over to where the LEGOs are because he knows those are her favorites on the rare occasions Luka wanders away from Lena but doesn’t choose him.)

(Lena proudly watches them build cities and towns and entire worlds that seem to keep getting more and more intricate each time.)

(She always ends up discreetly wiping her eyes before any tears fall as she watches Sawyer talk to Luka so, _so_ softly, quietly weaving a new story about their creations for Luka until she finally cracks a smile for him.)

(Lena ends up curled into Kara in their bed after those particular days because, “he’s so much like Lex, Kara. Like _my_ Lex…”)

* * *

While Kara, _as_ Kara, doesn’t often tag along – because this is Lena’s thing with their children – Supergirl stops by often enough that the hospital has implemented a “Superhero Day” when everyone – from doctors and patients to administrators and visitors and every other employee – wears at least one superhero-related item.

So it isn’t so odd to see kids in red capes and the House of El crest across their chests, or green and orange swimming clothes. Even the doctors and nurses have been caught getting _really_ in the spirit; Lena’s been pleasantly surprised that they even hold friendly “best dressed” competitions.

Lena’s kids love running around in their homemade Super suits, sewn by Kara and Lena using red and blue stretchy fabric in all the wrong shades.

(The girls opted for pants instead of the skirt, and Lena is _still_ teasing Kara about their toddlers being more practical than her.)

Which is why the day Lena and the children get paparazzi’d walking into the hospital – dressed in authentic mini Batman and other Batfam suits, right down to baby-proofed Batarangs, and Lena dressed in a simple black t-shirt with the Bat symbol across her chest – is a day full of gossip and Kryptonian outrage.

Kal-El’s Kryptonian outrage, to be more specific.

He flies in that same night, ranting about picking sides and family loyalties while Kara blankly watches him pace and Lena hides her smirk into her glass of wine, her explanation of, “they were gifts from Bruce, and the children loved them; I wasn’t about to deny them, Kal,” falling on deaf ears.

“… and I understand that he’s upset about the latest supervillain’s escape because I couldn’t come help like I promised, but Metropolis was overcome with evil robot pigeons, Kara! Frankly, this is a low blow, bribing my family to abandon me like this, and I can’t believe you’d fall for it.”

(Lena’s endlessly amused and muttering about getting caught in the middle of a “lovers’ quarrel” while Kal continues about dropping off, “an entire dozen of Martha Kent’s famous apple pie _still hot from the oven_ as an apology!”)

He’s so worked up about it all that he doesn’t notice Kara speeding to their room and back until she’s blocking his path on his next trip of walking a hole into her floor, and – eyes serious and hard – dramatically takes off her glasses like she’s about to jump out the window to save the kittens of National City.

He’s instantly alert and listening to the city the second she reaches for her shirt buttons.

Lena snorts into her wine as Kara, still staring Kal-El dead in the eye, yanks her shirt open and reveals… her own Batman shirt.

And Kara looks and sounds so defeated – the perfect picture of an exhausted mom that has already had _and_ _lost_ the argument with their kid about dressing themselves, the mom that just really needs a nap.

Lena ends up sprawled on the couch, laughing so hard it startles Buttons into protectively standing at her feet as Kal dramatically falls to his knees and clutches his chest with a quietly – because the kids are asleep and he won’t survive the wrath of a Luthor this time if he wakes them – wailed, “Nooo…”

(Seriously, she thinks. These aliens are so… _extra_.)

“We are proud members of the House of El.”

Kara’s sigh is so heavy, Lena’s budget reports flutter off the table.

“But in this house, we stan… Batman.”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hear ye, hear ye.
> 
> Come one and come all, for lo and behold, I have joined the confusing and button filled world of tumblr.
> 
> Come find me @dishonoringthefamilycow, let's talk, bounce ideas off each other, and just be merry!


End file.
